Evidence-Based Dentistry Preparing Students to Practice Evidence- Based Dentistry: A Mixed Methods Conceptual Framework for Curriculum Enhancement

Abstract: This article describes a mixed methods conceptual framework for evidence-based dentistry to enhance the curriculum at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. A focus of recent curriculum reform has been to prepare students to integrate evidence-based dentistry into clinical practice. The authors developed a framework consisting of four conceptual phases to introduce curriculum innovation: 1) exploration of the phenomenon; 2) development of two new instruments; 3) data collection, analysis, outcomes, and evaluation; and 4) application to curricular reform. Eight sequential procedural steps (lit-erature review; focus group discussions; development of themes; survey design; internal review; data collection, analysis, and evaluation; development of recommendations with external review; and implementation of recommendations for curricular enhancement) guided the curricular enhancement. Faculty members supported the concept of teaching evidence-based dentistry to facilitate major curriculum reform, and course directors incorporated evidence-based teaching to prepare scientist-practitioners who meet dental performance standards. The new curriculum implemented following completion of the study is in its third year. Much of its structure is based on evidence-based teaching methodologies, and approximately one-third of the content consists of small groups researching clinical problems with applied science and discussing the findings. The framework described in thi