Page 123 - Demo

General discussion1217To build self-efficacy efficiently, the first treatments on patients should ideally be positive experiences. The chances for success are higher when the treatment is uncomplicated (chapter 2). Performing root canal treatments on molars or performing retreatments may cause a drop in the student’s self-efficacy (chapter 4). It remains difficult to predict how many relatively easy root canal treatments on patients should be performed ideally before starting to perform slightly more difficult treatments on patients, or how many root canal treatments on patients should be required minimally before graduation. Both the number and the types of root canal treatments the students performed on patients during their undergraduate training varied between the three programmes studied, as did the students’ self-efficacy at graduation (chapter 4). Nevertheless, their selfefficacy generally increased following their graduation (chapters 5). Graduates from ACTA’s standard programme had the least clinical experience before graduation; on average, they performed root canal treatments on three teeth (chapter 4). Although as little clinical experience as that may be adequate (chapter 5), more clinical experience would be preferred (chapter 4). Instead of providing a recommendation on the number of root canal treatments that should be performed on patients before graduation, we would advise that the difficulty level of cases accepted for students should be such that the aim of building self-efficacy will be accomplished and a drop in self-efficacy prevented as much as possible. Supervision by general dental practitioners versus supervision by endodontists or dentists with special interest in Endodontology It is reasonable to assume that general dental practitioners are skilled to perform the treatments that students are allowed to perform during their undergraduate dental training and therefore equipped to supervise them. However, helping a novice perform a treatment generally is more difficult than performing it yourself, and the root canal treatments the students perform in the undergraduate clinic are on many occasions more complicated than anticipated (chapter 2). Besides, general dental practitioners are often not comfortable performing root canal treatment themselves (Dahlström et al. 2017), let alone supervising students with little experience performing those treatments under their responsibility. Endodontists or dentists with special interest in Endodontology have enhanced knowledge and skills in Endodontics, and they are probably more self-efficacious in Endodontics and in teaching Endodontology and supervising students who are providing endodontic care than general dental practitioners. Annemarie Baaij.indd 121 28-06-2023 12:26