A qualitative evaluation of dental students' experiences in a pediatric dentistry clinic using a critical incident technique

Meeting the oral care needs of all children in the United States requires increased participation by general practitioners. Evaluating dental students' experiences in pediatric dentistry may help dental educators better prepare graduates to treat the children in their communities. This qualitative investigation aimed to collect and analyze data using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). Sixty dental students at one southwestern dental school participated in 103 recorded interviews. They described 150 positive and 134 negative experiences related to the pediatric dentistry clinic. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four key factors related to their experiences: (1) The Instructor; (2) The Patient; (3) The Learning Process; and (4) The Learning Environment. The contribution made by the patient to dental students' education has not been previously addressed. The CIT is a useful technique that provides rich, useful data and has many potential uses in dental education.