Early dental journalism: a mirror of the development of dentistry as a profession

The rise of dentistry from a mechanical trade to a profession has often been attributed to the so-called "triumvirate" of organization, education, and journal literature. This essay focuses on one part of the triumvirate, examining the role of journals in the growth of dentistry as a profession, from the appearance of the first journal in 1839 to the publication of the Index to Dental Literature in 1921. Rather than discussing the history of individual titles, it identifies some of the broader issues and problems that confronted early dental journalism. The evolution of dental journals from trade house publications to independent scientific literature mirrored the movement toward professional status in dentistry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.     

A course in information techniques for dental students

A course plan is presented for introducing literature searching and critical skills to dental students. Topics include the "life cycle of information," reference sources available, search procedure, abstracting and indexing, and personal information systems. Teaching is structured around planned seminars and student projects. The course design is compatible with traditional dental curricula and is based on students' interest in dentistry rather than in information/library science.     

Changing patterns in dental education

Since the first dental school was founded nearly 130 years ago, dental education has followed an expanding but relatively unchanging pattern. During the last decade the many social changes taking place in our society have been influencing the profession in such a way that dental education and dental practice must necessarily adjust to satisfy the increasing demands for dental care. The profession is studying ways in which these adjustments can be made most efficiently. It is quite possible that the procedures of dental training and dental practice will change significantly in the future.     

Librarians' Roles in Evidence-Based Dentistry Education: A Review of Literature and a Survey in North America

This study describes the current roles of dental librarians in Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) education including their perceptions of EBD and barriers to their involvement. A Web-based survey was distributed to the dental librarians in North America, with a 71% response rate. The results showed that the majority of dental librarians are playing multiple and diverse roles in EBD education. The most frequently cited barrier to their involvement is the low level of interest from the dental faculty/student/school. Most dental librarians felt competent in supporting EBD, although continuing education needs in both EBD and teaching skills were pointed out.     

Librarians' roles in evidence-based dentistry education: a review of literature and a survey in North America

This study describes the current roles of dental librarians in Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) education including their perceptions of EBD and barriers to their involvement. A Web-based survey was distributed to the dental librarians in North America, with a 71% response rate. The results showed that the majority of dental librarians are playing multiple and diverse roles in EBD education. The most frequently cited barrier to their involvement is the low level of interest from the dental faculty/student/school. Most dental librarians felt competent in supporting EBD, although continuing education needs in both EBD and teaching skills were pointed out.     

Sources of salary statistics for health care professionals

Salary statistics for various health care professions are much in demand, yet finding them is not always an easy task. This article provides an annotated list of selected sources of salary statistics for medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Emphasis is placed on sources which are published regularly. Strategies for finding additional sources of salary statistics are also discussed.     

Librarian-facilitated problem-based learning course in a school of dental medicine

While problem-based learning has been used in medical practice for several decades, dental education was slower to adapt this education model. However, as dental curricula are embracing this pedagogy, dental and other health sciences librarians are in a position to provide important curricular support. This article will detail one dental liaison librarian's experience with facilitating a problem-based, case-based studies course within the curriculum of a dental school.     

Librarian-Facilitated Problem-Based Learning Course in a School of Dental Medicine

While problem-based learning has been used in medical practice for several decades, dental education was slower to adapt this education model. However, as dental curricula are embracing this pedagogy, dental and other health sciences librarians are in a position to provide important curricular support. This article will detail one dental liaison librarian's experience with facilitating a problem-based, case-based studies course within the curriculum of a dental school.     

Library Learning Space—Empirical Research and Perspective

Dentistry &; Oral Sciences Source from EBSCO Information Services provides indexing and full-text access to an extensive selection of dental journal literature, as well some full-text dental monographs. As stated by EBSCO, titles are chosen from those commonly held in dental school libraries. The database aims to support practitioners, researchers, and advanced dental education. This column includes sample searches from Dentistry &; Oral Sciences Source as well as a discussion of its special content and features.     

OneSearch in a dental library: beyond MEDLINE.

MEDLINE, which includes the Index to Dental Literature, has been the database of choice for most search requests generated at Indiana University School of Dentistry. However, many requests extend beyond dentistry and the health sciences into the realms of business, education, psychology, law, and computer technology. For these requests, DIALOG's new OneSearch feature can be a simple and cost-effective mechanism for supplementing searches that would otherwise be confined to MEDLINE.     

A Dental Library Instruction Program

A library instruction program is a valuable service to dental students and other library users. This paper outlines the steps needed to implement an effective instruction program in a dental library. The successful library instruction program in place at the Indiana University School of Dentistry Library servces as a prototype.     

OneSearch in a Dental Library

MEDLINE, which includes the Index to Dental Literature, has been the database of choice for most search requests generated at Indiana University School of Dentistry. However, many requests extend beyond dentistry and the health sciences into the realms of business, education, psychology, law, and computer technology. For these requests, DIALOG'S new OneSearch feature can be a simple and cost-effective mechanism for supplementing - searches that would otherwise be confined to MEDLINE.     

Sharing MedlinePlus®/MEDLINE® for information literacy education (SMILE): a dental public health information project

The SMILE project represented a partnership among the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Libraries, the Gateway Clinic in Laredo, and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The project focused on improving dental practitioners' access to reliable information resources and integrating the best evidence into public health dental practice. Through its training program, SMILE cultivated a set of "power information users" among the dentists, dental hygienists, and community health workers (promotores) who provided public health preventive care and oral health education. The dental public health practitioners gained information literacy skills and increased their knowledge about reliable sites such as blogs, PubMed?, and MedlinePlus?. This project fostered opportunities for expanded partnerships with public health personnel.     

Sharing MedlinePlus®/MEDLINE® for Information Literacy Education (SMILE): A Dental Public Health Information Project

The SMILE project represented a partnership among the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Libraries, the Gateway Clinic in Laredo, and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The project focused on improving dental practitioners' access to reliable information resources and integrating the best evidence into public health dental practice. Through its training program, SMILE cultivated a set of “power information users” among the dentists, dental hygienists, and community health workers (promotores) who provided public health preventive care and oral health education. The dental public health practitioners gained information literacy skills and increased their knowledge about reliable sites such as blogs, PubMed®, and MedlinePlus®. This project fostered opportunities for expanded partnerships with public health personnel.     

Citation Analysis of Graduate Dental Theses References: Implications for Collection Development

This study, conducted at the Indiana University School of Dentistry Library using citation analysis, examined graduate dental student theses citations to determine the nature of materials cited, journal ownership, journal citation frequency, and citation age distribution. The results were compared to other scientific discipline citation analyses. Study results indicated that for the period studied, masters dental students, like medical and science students, cited recently published scholarly dental journal literature. The majority of the journals cited were owned by Indiana University system libraries. Areas for further research include faculty resource usage, e-journal impact, and interdisciplinary resource use.     

Assessing the roles and challenges of librarians in dental systematic and scoping reviews

Objective:The objective of this study was to determine the scope of experience, roles, and challenges that librarians face in participating in dental and oral health systematic and scoping reviews to inform outreach efforts to researchers and identify areas for librarian professional development.Methods:The authors developed a twenty-three-item survey based on the findings of two recent articles about health sciences librarians'' roles and challenges in conducting systematic and scoping reviews. The survey was distributed via electronic mailing lists to librarians who were likely to have participated in conducting dental systematic and scoping reviews.Results:While survey respondents reported participating in many dental reviews, they participated more commonly in systematic reviews than in scoping reviews. Also, they worked less commonly on dental and oral health reviews than on non-dental reviews. Librarian roles in dental reviews tended to follow traditional librarian roles: all respondents had participated in planning and information retrieval stages, whereas fewer respondents had participated in screening and assessing articles. The most frequently reported challenges involved the lead reviewer or review team rather than the librarians themselves, with time- and methodology-related challenges being most common.Conclusions:Although librarians might not be highly involved in dental and oral health systematic and scoping reviews, more librarian participation in these reviews, either as methodologists or information experts, may improve their reviews'' overall quality.     

Information needs of practicing dentists

Dentists, as health professionals, need access to information. As in other health sciences, the increase in the rate and volume of published information has made it more difficult for them to keep up with new developments. Five hundred randomly selected dentists in Louisiana were surveyed to determine what information dentists seek and what sources they prefer. Responses indicated that dentists need information on new techniques in dentistry and that preferred sources are professional colleagues and personal journal collections. Libraries were found to be used only infrequently as sources for information. Implications for planning libraries for applications- and technique-oriented professions are discussed.     

Interdisciplinary Health Care Teamwork in the Clinic Backstage

A long-term ethnography of an interdisciplinary geriatric oncology team at a regional cancer center revealed the existence and importance of backstage communication that occurred outside of team meetings to the enactment of teamwork. Seven inductively derived categories describe the communication involved in backstage teamwork in the clinic: informal impression and information sharing; checking clinic progress; relationship building; space management; training students; handling interruptions; and formal reporting. The centrality of backstage communication to caring for patients is explored, and a view of embedded teamwork is proposed, extending upon the bona fide group construct. The study provides a valuable complement to controlled studies of group decision-making through its focus on dynamic communication outside of meetings among dyads and triads of team members in a web-like organization and extends bona fide group theory.     

Interdisciplinary Health Care Teamwork in the Clinic Backstage

A long-term ethnography of an interdisciplinary geriatric oncology team at a regional cancer center revealed the existence and importance of backstage communication that occurred outside of team meetings to the enactment of teamwork. Seven inductively derived categories describe the communication involved in backstage teamwork in the clinic: informal impression and information sharing; checking clinic progress; relationship building; space management; training students; handling interruptions; and formal reporting. The centrality of backstage communication to caring for patients is explored, and a view of embedded teamwork is proposed, extending upon the bona fide group construct. The study provides a valuable complement to controlled studies of group decision-making through its focus on dynamic communication outside of meetings among dyads and triads of team members in a web-like organization and extends bona fide group theory.