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Biomedical subjects

A Nimmo

Publications and source records attributed to A Nimmo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Classification system for complete edentulism. The American College of Prosthodontics.

The American College of Prosthodontists has developed a classification system for complete edentulism based on diagnostic findings. These guidelines may help practitioners determine appropriate treatments for their patients. Four categories are defined, ranging from Class I to Class IV, with Class I representing an uncomplicated clinical situation and a Class IV patient representing the most complex and higher-risk situation. Each class is differentiated by specific diagnostic criteria. This system is designed for use by dental professionals who are involved in the diagnosis of patients requiring treatment for complete edentulism. Potential benefits of the system include: 1) better patient care, 2) improved professional communication, 3) more appropriate insurance reimbursement, 4) a better screening tool to assist dental school admission clinics, and 5) standardized criteria for outcomes assessment.

Alveolar Bone Loss↗

Defining predoctoral prosthodontic curriculum: a workshop sponsored by the American College of Prosthodontists and the prosthodontic forum.

Prosthodontic educators participated in a workshop held at The American College of Prosthodontists annual session in Kansas City, MO, in October 1996. Their goal was to review elements of the predoctoral prosthodontic curriculum to establish a consensus on the levels of expected skill and knowledge. Skill components were designated at the competency and exposure levels, while knowledge components were designated at the understanding and familiarity levels. The workshop recommendations were distributed to American and Canadian dental schools and the communities of interest for comments in January 1997. The workshop recommendations were reviewed and finalized at the American Association of Dental Schools annual meeting in Orlando, FL, in March 1997. The recommendations may be used by dental educators to prioritize curricular elements in relation to limited time dedicated to the prosthodontic curriculum. Outcomes assessment methods will be needed to ensure competency in the new dentist.

Competency-Based Education↗

Survey of educationally qualified and board-eligible prosthodontists on the board-certification process.

PURPOSE: A survey of prosthodontists who have not achieved diplomate status from the American Board of Prosthodontics was conducted to identify the reasons why they have or have not pursued and/or achieved board certification in prosthodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was sent to 500 educationally qualified or board-eligible prosthodontists in the summer of 1997. A total of 364 responses were received, for a response rate of 73%. The responses and comments were analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of respondents listed private practice as their primary area of professional activity. Personal accomplishment was cited by 80% of the respondents as a major motivational factor. Three major impediments to taking the examination included: time away from practice (65%), time away from family (59%), and financial sacrifice (57%). More than one third of the respondents believed there was no advantage to attempting the board examination. Less than half of the respondents have attended The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP)-sponsored Board Preparation Course, and half have used the ACP Study Guide. The respondents have perceived these to be useful in their preparation efforts. The survey presented four potential changes in the exam format that might encourage greater participation in the board-certification process. Respondents showed the greatest support (64%) for the concept of a written examination only (i.e., elimination of Parts 2, 3, and 4). CONCLUSIONS: Personal accomplishment was the most important motivational factor in starting the examination process. The greatest impediments to pursuing board certification were the time involved and financial resources expended. The greatest interest in a potential change in the examination format was the use of a written examination only.

Certification↗

Quality assurance for the laboratory aspects of prosthodontic treatment.

Inconsistency in the product returned from the commercial dental laboratory led to the development of a formal quality assurance (QA) program at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry in 1994. The goal of the program was to improve the quality of prosthodontic laboratory submissions and the returned product, facilitate laboratory communications, and, ultimately, enhance the quality and timeliness of patient care. Each student submission is evaluated with a criterion-referenced evaluation form. Deficiencies are communicated to the student, and the corrected submission is then sent to the laboratory. Three-year remake data from the main clinic (QA site) and an extramural clinic (non-QA site) demonstrate the effectiveness of the program. The major benefits are more efficient, cost-effective patient care, as well as the provision of a model for the student to practice the skills needed for effective communication with the dental technician, upon graduation.

Humans↗

Patient-centered competency-based education in fixed prosthodontics.

Revision of a traditional fixed prosthodontic curriculum was undertaken in response to observed private practice patterns, recent literature in fixed prosthodontics, and an increasingly crowded dental school curriculum. The revision was further motivated by the commitment of the faculty to become patient-centered in all components of instruction. The resultant preclinical and clinical curriculum emphasizes patient care activities and minimizes student-generated laboratory products. This program is characterized as patient-driven, competency-based, and criterion-referenced, and it places heavy reliance on validated pedagogical strategies, which include evaluation of self and peers. The curriculum requires the development of good communication skills with peers, faculty, and commercial laboratories and creates time for the student to develop critical patient care skills without requiring more curriculum time. The new fixed prosthodontic curriculum appears to be consistent with current private general practice, national licensing examinations, and the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine's report to dental education.

Competency-Based Education↗

Fractured clavicle of the newborn in a population with a high prevalence of grand-multiparity: analysis of 78 consecutive cases.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a clinical analysis of newborn babies with a fractured clavicle and investigate the possible role of relative calcium deficiency in the aetiology. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study (clinical aspects); case controlled study (calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase). SETTING: The Nazareth Hospital, Israel. SUBJECTS: All babies with a fractured clavicle detected in the newborn period and their mothers delivered between 23 August 1987 and 22 June 1989. The majority of the population were Arab. INTERVENTIONS: Serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase were measured on the third postpartum day in 42 affected babies (with uncomplicated deliveries), their mothers, and a matched group of babies and mothers as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical associations of fractured clavicle of the newborn; statistical comparison of affected group with controls (calcium study). RESULTS: The incidence of fractured clavicle was 18.7 per 1000 singleton vaginal births; 38 in the posterior clavicle at delivery, 27 in the anterior, position unascertained in nine. Four (5.2%) occurred in instrumental deliveries, three (3.9%) in assisted breech delivery; shoulder dystocia was noted in 13. The male to female ratio of 51:26 was significantly different but not due to birth weight. Affected babies were significantly heavier than the unaffected population. The incidence was higher in parous mothers older than 25 years of age but there was no evidence of increased incidence with increasing parity. No significant results were obtained in the calcium study between affected babies and their mothers, when compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Fractured clavicle of the newborn is a benign form of birth trauma from which heavier babies are at greater risk. It occurs in 1 to 2% of deliveries, most of these being uncomplicated vaginal births, and is often undetected. There is no evidence for relative calcium deficiency.

Adolescent↗

Color stability of provisional materials in vivo.

Color stability of provisional restorations is an important quality of the resin used, particularly for extensive reconstruction over a long period of time. This study evaluated the in vivo discoloration of seven resins over a 9-week period. Resin specimens were prepared and placed in the facial flange of maxillary complete dentures and the lingual flange of mandibular complete dentures. Patients were given toothbrushes and toothpaste and told not to use any chemical agents for cleansing the dentures. Observations were made at 1, 5, and 9 weeks. No change was detected at the first two evaluations. At the 9-week evaluation, four materials, True Kit, Duralay, Trim, and Protemp, showed significantly less staining than did the other three resins tested. All materials tested were acceptable from the standpoint of color stability for short term (5 weeks or less) provisional restorations. Therefore, the dentist using provisional restorations for a short period of time may consider other properties of the materials, such as resistance of fracture, marginal accuracy, ease of fabrication, and cost.

Acrylic Resins↗

Particulate inhalation during the removal of amalgam restorations.

An aerosol that contains amalgam particles is created when a high-speed hand-piece is used to remove an existing amalgam restoration. Those particles smaller than 10 microns are considered to be fully respirable. This means that a significant percentage of the particles have the potential to travel to the terminal alveoli, where they may become lodged. Long-term exposure to fully respirable particles may compromise a person's respiratory function. Amalgam restorations were placed in the typodont teeth of a mannequin designed to simulate the head and the respiratory tract of a patient. The amalgam restorations were removed under three experimental conditions: dry cut (control), wet cut (water spray) with high-velocity evacuation, and wet cut with high-velocity evacuation and a rubber dam. Particulate exposure was evaluated in the simulated respiratory tracts of the patient and the dentist that were equipped with ambient particle sizing samplers. Use of water spray and high-velocity evacuation significantly reduced patient exposure to particles. The use of a rubber dam, together with water spray and high-velocity evacuation, was responsible for a further significant reduction of exposure to particles when compared with water spray and high-velocity evacuation alone. The dentist, however, was exposed to moderate levels of fully respirable particles for all conditions tested. It is therefore recommended that all dental personnel wear face masks while removing existing amalgam restorations.

Aerosols↗

Evaluation of fracture resistance of resins used for provisional restorations.

Fracture resistance of provisional restorations is an important concern for the restorative dentist. Fracture resistance of a material is directly related to the transverse strength. This study evaluated the transverse strengths of provisional resins under varied conditions. Uniform samples were made from seven resins and tested immediately after the set of the material, after 7 days of dry storage, and after 7 days of wet storage. The fractured samples from the 7-day wet storage group were repaired with the same provisional material the sample was made from and fractured again to determine transverse strength for repaired samples. Five of the resins tested demonstrated statistically similar strength in the 7-day wet group. Two were found to be significantly weaker. Absorption of water resulted in a slight, but insignificant decrease in strength. Transverse strengths varied widely in the repaired group, and all materials showed a statistically significant reduction compared with the 7-day wet storage group.

Absorption↗