Background/Objectives: The dental profession is undergoing significant transformation driven by societal changes, technological advancements, evolving patient expectations, and increased attention to sustainability. These developments challenge traditional notions of dental competence and highlight the need for educational frameworks that support adaptability and longitudinal professional development. The aim of this study was to develop a contextually grounded competence framework for undergraduate dental education through an iterative, multi-method process informed by key educational stakeholders. Methods: A multi-method approach was used, combining a preparatory phase (literature review, interviews) with a development phase (drafting and workshops) that was revisited in response to feedback, followed by iterative voting rounds that prompted further minor revisions. A deductive exploratory mapping analysis aligned the emerging framework with existing intended learning outcomes across the curriculum. Results: The multi-method process produced descriptions of a framework that deliberately integrates roles, skills, and attributes to capture key dimensions of professional competence in dentistry. The framework includes six domains: ‘Evidence-informed’, ‘Decision-maker’, ‘Communicator’, ‘Acting with professional conduct’, ‘Health ambassador’, and ‘Collaborator and leader’. Across voting rounds, the domains were generally rated between ‘neutral’ and ‘very important’, with each round prompting minor revisions. Mapping suggested alignment between the overarching framework and the detailed curriculum. Conclusions: This study presents the outcome of a structured, exploratory multi-method process to develop a locally relevant competence framework, integrated into a dental education. The participatory design supported clarity and relevance. While sharing similarities with existing frameworks, the new framework also includes differences. The term ‘professional conduct’ was preferred rather than ‘professionalism’, and the domains ‘collaborator and leader’ and ‘decision-maker’ were identified as relevant according to employer expectations. Although the work was based locally at one dental school, the approach may be transferable to similar contexts.

At the dental education at Malmö University, a need for improving the scaffolding strategies to support the dental students’ entry to higher education and to increase the sense of belonging to their education was identified. Therefore, a new course introduction was designed with learning activities following three core design principles. The principles were: an introduction to the small study groups that the student would be part of during the entire first semester, a series of challenges within meaningful and specific areas, and challenges relatively easy to solve as a group. The challenges were thematized and covered getting to know the building where most of their studies will take place, the websites that are intented to be used for the students at the university, Challenge-based learning, Malmö University facilities, and finaly to reflect on what they had experienced during the week in relation to their upcoming studies. The new course introduction seemed beneficial for the students to get to know each other and their learning environment. The design was easy to implement, did not require much resources, and harmonized well with our expectations on student activities within the course. In our experience, CBL is a suitable approach for a course introduction.

We identified a need for a transparent and coherent approach to support frequent multisource feedforward and track student progress across clinical placements. Our aim was to develop and implement an evidence-informed portfolio approach through a participatory process. The development process comprised four steps: Exploration, Preparation, Initial Implementation, and Full Implementation. Evidence and stakeholder experiences were gathered through document analysis, literature review, and interviews with students and teachers. Student interview data were analysed thematically, and infrastructure feasibility was assessed using descriptive usage statistics. A portfolio approach CO-FF (Clinical Observation FeedForward) was developed and implemented. Recorded criteria increased substantially over time, and the autonomy scale showed progression patterns consistent with teacher expectations. The structured, iterative participatory process enhanced the feasibility and educational utility of the approach. Our findings offer a practical example of how portfolio-based feedback systems can be designed and implemented in health professions education and other practice-based disciplines.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to explore the feedback and feedforward quality in the clinical setting and the usability of a followership model as a framework to analyze and map students' peer feedback.

METHOD: Feedback and feedforward from 59 fourth-year dental students' clinical portfolios were collected and analyzed using a combination of deductive coding and interpretative content analysis. The analysis was first organized into predefined code categories (specific and actionable, non-specific, confirmatory, description of what was done, and other comments). The comments provided to peers were clustered and analyzed in relation to Kelley's theoretical followership framework.

RESULTS: A total of 3,877 free-text comments were included in the analysis. Regardless of role, most comments were coded as specific and actionable (n = 3,012). Confirmatory comments were frequently directed at peers. Comments that were only confirmatory were defined as reflecting dependent, uncritical thinking and passive behavior; this was the most frequent category among peer comments (n = 656). Non-specific comments were defined as reflecting dependent, uncritical thinking and active behavior, and this category was rare (n = 79). Comments that were confirmatory, specific, and actionable were defined as expressions of independent, critical thinking and active behavior (n = 442).

CONCLUSION: The analysis of feedback and feedforward in relation to followership seems to be a valid conceptual model. We found that peer feedback was often confirmatory and could be improved by incorporating specific and actionable feedforward. The followership model was shown to be a useful tool for structuring and analyzing peer feedback and feedforward, and it will be used as a tool for learning and quality assessment in future longitudinal studies.

UNLABELLED: treatment strategies, and prognostic assessments made by dental hygienists in general dentistry, compared with the 1999 classification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire comprising five patient cases was administered to dental hygienists in Sweden on two separate occasions. For each case, diagnoses, treatment plans, and prognostic assessments were proposed, first using the 1999 and subsequently the 2018 classification. Cases ranged from no marginal bone loss attributed to periodontitis and few (<10%) bleeding sites to marginal bone loss >30% and generalized inflammation (>30%). Answers from the two occasions were compared.

RESULTS: A total of 142 dental hygienists completed both questionnaires. Diagnostic assessments changed significantly in three of the five cases when using the 2018 classification (p < 0.05). In four cases, fewer treatment sessions were recommended, and more optimistic prognostic assessments were made when using the 2018 classification (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The 2018 classification resulted in greater variation in proposed diagnoses in cases without clear attachment loss and was associated with fewer recommended treatment sessions and more optimistic prognostic assessments. However, it appeared at least as effective as the 1999 classification in identifying cases with periodontitis.

I detta kapitel beskrivs framtagandet av ett kompetensramverk för den nya tandläkarutbildningen i Malmö. Ramverket beskriver vad studenter behöver utveckla för att fungera självständigt som professionella vårdgivare. Genom att koppla kompetenser till utbildningsmål och kursmål säkerställs och synliggörs den förväntade progressionen genom utbildningen. Ett kompetensramverk kan även vara ett värdefullt redskap för lärarna när de utvecklar olika lärandeaktiviteter och ger studenterna en förståelse för komplexiteten i tandläkaryrket. För att kompetensramverket skall vara relevant måste det förankras i både professionella och lokala sammanhang. Det slutliga ramverket består av 6 domäner: evidensinformerad, professionellt omdömesfull, hälsoambassadör, beslutsfattare, kommunikatör, samt medarbetare och ledare. Ramverket illustreras med en figur där varje domän visualiseras med en ikon och förklarande text för att underlätta förståelsen av konceptet.

This chapter outlines the development of a competence-based framework for the new dental program in Malmö. The framework specifies the essential competencies students need to develop to practice independently as professional healthcare providers. By aligning these competencies with educational and course objectives, progression throughout the program is clarified. The framework also serves as a valuable tool for educators in designing effective learning activities and supports students in grasping the multifaceted nature of the dental profession. To ensure continued relevance, the framework is grounded in both professional standards and the local context. The finalized framework compromises six domains: Evidence informed, Decision-maker, Communicator, Acting with professional conduct, Health ambassador, and Collaborator. Each domain is visually represented in an accompanying figure, featuring an icon and explanatory text to enhance conceptual understanding.

Background: Orofacial appearance remains socially meaningful throughout later life, as facial and dental features may shape first impressions and social judgments. Yet little is known about how older adults perceive the orofacial appearance of their peers. Against this background, this study explored how adults aged 65 years and older perceive their peers' orofacial appearance (OA). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants (aged 68-76), strategically recruited from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Blekinge (SNAC-B) in Karlskrona. To identify patterns in the data, a thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Results: The older adults' perceptions of other people's OA were represented in three themes: (i) charisma and personality overshadow orofacial appearance; (ii) it is easy to attribute characteristics as a result of the appearance; (iii) adherence to established norms is expected. Conclusion: This study highlights how older adults' perceptions of peers' OA are shaped by interpersonal impressions and social norms. Charisma, warmth, and facial expression could reduce the importance of specific orofacial features, whereas missing teeth, visible poor oral health, or appearance changes perceived as outside age-appropriate norms could trigger assumptions about lifestyle, vulnerability, or self-care.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how people aged 65 years and older experience their orofacial appearance (OA).

METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 strategically recruited participants aged 65-79 years from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Blekinge (SNAC-B) in Karlskrona. A semi-structured interview guide was developed, and the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data.

RESULTS: The older adults' experience of their OA was represented in four themes: (i) you kind of have to like the situation as it is now-to accept orofacial appearance in its current state; (ii) an ageing orofacial appearance-a slow continuous downhill slope; (iii) looking good for others to fit the social norm; and (iv) keeping up orofacial appearance-seemingly without effort.

CONCLUSION: The older adults in this study had a dual perception in relation to their own OA. Although society often values a younger looking appearance, striving for a youthful appearance is seen negatively, which may potentially reflect the complexities of the perceptions of one's own ageing OA. Only those with dental issues found the impact of teeth on OA perception to be particularly significant.

Introduction: Continuing professional development is a lifelong learning process. One pedagogical approach that can be used is active learning. Flipped classroom is a method that has been shown to improve deeper conceptual understanding. In an online setting, the method saves travel, time, and costs. To our knowledge, flipped classroom is rarely used in continuing professional education. This study in general dentistry explored experiences of an online flipped classroom course in continuing professional development.

Materials and Methods: Fifteen dental hygienists, clinically active in general dental care, were interviewed. They were recruited from an online course on the latest classification system for periodontal diseases. The course had been conducted using an active learning and flipped classroom model. The interviews were semi-structured. Data were extracted using qualitative content analysis.

Results: The experiences of the dental hygienists could be summarized in three themes: Stimulation of knowledge gain through self-paced studies, The ease of virtual networking among colleagues, and Fostering of direct practical application through collaboration.

Conclusion: New and emerging communication technology seems to open new possibilities for continuing professional development in general dentistry. Study participants felt that, in an online environment, mixing asynchronous and synchronous communication in a flipped classroom model facilitated learning in continuing professional development. Online active learning seems to work well in continuous professional development in general dentistry. After the course, the participating dental hygienists stated that they were able to use their new knowledge clinically and felt confident doing so.

Introduction: Portfolio with a collection of evidence has become popular in higher education, including dental education. It is valuable to study the experiences of the use and implementation processes. Meta-ethnography can be a suitable method to analyse, synthesize and construct interpretations of qualitative research. Our aim was to explore experiences from the use of a portfolio/e-portfolio in dental education, from the students' and teachers' perspectives.

Materials and methods: A systematic search in the databases PubMed, Scopus and ERC was performed, and the established seven steps of a meta-ethnographic review were used. 278 papers were initially identified, and seven were included in the final analysis.

Results: Two themes (Issues to Address and Consequences) and five subthemes (Purpose, Roles, Support and Structure, Challenges and Enablers, and Gains) were constructed.

Discussion: Our synthesis reflects various challenges, yet the learning gains are recognized and expressed to be important once the students and teachers have overcome early thresholds. Beyond the conclusions drawn in each paper, our synthesis provides new perspectives on the complexity of an implementation process and the balance of not seeing the woods for the trees being overwhelmed by technical and other practical aspects, reducing the opportunity for learning.

Conclusion: The portfolio implementation in undergraduate dental education should address clarification to all stakeholders of the purpose and role, presenting a purposeful portfolio structure and timely support.