Exodontia skills acquisition: focusing on clinical teaching and training

Abstract

The aim of the research was to evaluate the traditional exodontia block course. The objectives were to explore the experiences and views of students, clinical teachers and dental practitioners of the various elements of the course curriculum. The study was a qualitative, participatory action research study using descriptive analysis. The study was conducted at a Dental Faculty in South Africa. A purposive sample of students, clinical teachers and dental practitioners were invited to participate. Focus group discussions were used to collect data which was analysed by an external coder. The study population consisted of 15 undergraduate dentistry students, 10 clinical teachers and seven dental practitioners. Four broad themes with sub-themes emerged from the study. The main themes identified strengths and deficiencies of the traditional course and made recommendations for its improvement. The themes identified were i) Integration of knowledge and skills, ii) Block course structure, iii) Challenges associated, and iv) Recommendations for improvement.