Activities / Projects
Evaluation of a Dental Model for Training Veterinary and Veterinary Nursing Students
Rachel H Lumbis, Susan P Gregory, Sarah Baillie, Peter Nunn (correspondence to rlumbis@rvc.ac.uk)
This is a LIVE Teaching Development funded project
Background behind the project
Periodontal disease is the most common disease observed in domestic dogs and cats (Harvey, 2005) with more than 80% of animals over three years of age reportedly suffering from some form of dental or gum disease (Putter, 2011). Thus, veterinary dentistry is considered an important area of veterinary practice yet remains relatively underdeveloped (BVDA, 2011). As Hoffman et al. (2007) report, veterinary dental procedures were once brief, constituting the removal of supragingival calculus under a short acting sedative or anaesthetic, yet as Niemiec (2008b) recognises, veterinary dentistry has progressed and is now considered a comprehensive treatment, warranting a general anaesthetic.
Whilst is has been recognised that the provision of dental services is important, it has also been acknowledged that the quality of care is variable (Colmery, 2005) with a wide variation in operator skill (Brine et al, 2000).
Given the associated serious welfare implications and deleterious effects on health, it is of no surprise that routine periodontal treatment features as a frequently performed procedure by veterinary graduates in small animal practice (Greenfield, et al, 2004). It would therefore be assumed that small animal dentistry would constitute a core component of the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. At the RVC the amount of practical veterinary dentistry taught as part of the core BVetMed and Veterinary Nursing courses is small and very dependent upon the clinical case load. It has often been assumed that students receive basic practical tuition on subjects such as type, care, maintenance and use of dental instrumentation whilst on Extramural studies (EMS) or placement, however student feedback does not support this assumption (BVA 2009) and student experience is variable. To help address this issue, in 2009, a successful application was made for funding to develop and evaluate a veterinary dental teaching and assessment model.
Aim of the project
The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a basic veterinary dental teaching station within the Clinical Skills Centre at the RVC, with supporting teaching materials online, to facilitate the teaching, learning and assessment of basic dental skills for veterinary nursing and veterinary medicine students. The opportunity to acquire basic knowledge, understanding and skills in a safe environment was anticipated to boost student’s confidence whilst on EMS / placements and increase their clinical involvement with dental procedures prior to qualification.
About the model
A prototype dental model was constructed using ceramic tiles, silicone sealant and grout to emulate teeth, gingiva and calculus respectively.
The aim was that students would use the model to learn the skills to perform a dental descale and polish. Through this process, they would also learn how to:
- prepare and operate a standard dental machine
- use an ultrasonic handpiece
In a pilot evaluation of the veterinary model, feedback received from 2 veterinarians and 3 veterinary nurses indicated that the model had a realistic feel and it was possible to cause damage through incorrect use of dental instrumentation.
Further information
Reports
LIVE Award 2009 interim report (July 2010) (pdf)
LIVE Award 2009 final report (Nov 2011) (pdf)
References
Brine, E. J., Manfra Marretta, S., Pijanowski, G. J. & Siegel, A. M., 2000. Comparison of the Effects of Four Different Power Scalers on Enamel Tooth Surface in the Dog. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 17 (1), pp.17 – 21.
BVA (2009) British Veterinary Association and the Association of Veterinary Students Survey results 2008 [Online], Available at: http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/2008_AVS_Survey_Results.pdf. [Accessed 8 May 2011]
BVDA, 2011. Join the BVDA [Online], Available at: http://www.bvda.co.uk. [Accessed 10 April 2011].
Colmery, B., 2005. The Gold Standard of Veterinary Oral Health Care. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 35, pp.781 – 787.
Greenfield, C. L. Johnson, A. L. & Schaeffer, D. J., 2004. Frequency of use of various procedures, skills and areas of knowledge among veterinarians in private small animal exclusive or predominant practice and proficiency expected of new veterinary school graduates. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 224 (11), pp.1780 – 1787.
Harvey, C. E., 2005. Management of Periodontal Disease: Understanding the Options. Veterinary Clinics Small Animal Practice. 31, pp.819–836
Hoffman, S. L.. Kressin, D. J. & Verstraete, F. J. M., 2007. Myths and misconceptions in veterinary dentistry. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 231 (12), pp.1818 – 1824.
Niemiec, B. A., 2008b. Periodontal Therapy. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine, 23 (2), pp.81 – 90.
Putter, G., 2011. Pet dentistry: are we still only scratching the surface? Veterinary Business Journal, 102, pp. 8 – 10.