Are the films being read

[Douglas Benn]

Hear at Univ Florida all screening films taken by students are checked by Jim Pettigrew or myself for technique.
All students have their FMX and Pans interpreted in a highly structured manner using our electronic patient record system. After typing in their interps, either Jim or I on a one-to-one basis check their interpretation.
I disagree with Allan Farman on this being a waste of time since the primary mission of a dental school is the undergraduate program with all graduates needing to be competent in detecting radiographic changes due to caries or perio diseases. As we all know most of our clinical colleagues have less than ideal skills in interpreting images. If we leave it up to others to provide the radiology teaching then I think it is not surprising that dentists cannot read images correctly.
I would agree with Allan that the one-to-one teaching could be partially or completely delegated to residents or specially trained part-time general dentists.
Although as a group of specialists we are interested in the "big stuff" our primary responsibility  is to turn out dentists competent to manage caries/perio and be able to detect other diseases for referral for specialist care. I don't think my teaching is a waste of time but perhaps I am over-trained for this part of my work.

Best wishes.

Douglas


>>> pablat at DENTAL.UMARYLAND.EDU 01/18/02 17:34 PM >>>
Hello Everyone:
Are all the radiographs taken in Radiology facility at your school,
interpreted by a radiologist?
Thanks
Tarunjeet Pabla
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
Univ of MD, Baltimore Dental School