Page 137 - Demo

General discussion1357My current view on education in EndodonticsAlthough its effectiveness is not studied and verified in the present work, I uphold the method of guiding students by stimulating them to reflect on their performance, and helping them to find out and understand what works in their hands. Instead of focussing on numbers of performed treatments, students should be guided to the required level of competence by means of improving their understanding in Endodontology and their control over their performance (Perkins 1991). I feel that students’ reflection on their skills and limitations that have resulted in their performance is important to achieve their deep understanding of the subject matter, and that it may help them to enhance their skills and their control over their performance. Besides, students should get accustomed to reflecting on the root canal treatment while they are performing it in order to be in control during the treatment and to be able to make adjustments if that would be necessary for success (chapter 1). Undergraduate students should be provided with a solid base of skills, knowledge and deep understanding, from which they can manage every endodontic case, that is that they are ready to provide uncomplicated endodontic care and that they are aware of their limitations and refer patients for endodontic care that is beyond their skill set and experience. Although I fully recognize the importance of clinical experience, to build self-efficacy and to gain experience in handling the patient related factors, I feel that for undergraduate dental students simulated clinical training to gain experience with different root canal morphologies, and to perform root canal treatments of various difficulty levels, is of utmost importance to acquire the necessary skills for clinical practice. I believe that those conditions without the risk of harming a patient are perfect to safely explore their limits, and push them, along with building understanding and skills that are conducive to transfer. To build such skills and understanding takes time and effort, not only from the student, but also from their supervisor. With limited time and resources, it might be tempting to choose for an easy and quick way of teaching. However, this would probably be detrimental to retention and transfer of skills in Endodontics. Skills are essential, for professional action and for self-efficacy. To my opinion, it is important to ensure that there is enough time dedicated to Endodontology in the undergraduate curriculum. Endodontics is difficult, among other reasons, due to the variety in root canal morphology. To reduce the risk of iatrogenic damage or disease and secure optimal Annemarie Baaij.indd 135 28-06-2023 12:26