Decision-makingin the management of fixed prosthesis cases among senior year dental students part ii: at-risk and specific patients

Purpose: To assess the ability of senior year dental students to adapt the treatment plan based on specific patient conditions. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involved a sample of 150 senior year students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Casablanca. The survey used a questionnaire with different clinical situations. Results: The most proposed solution for a patient with low financial means was to replace the missing teeth with a removable prosthesis (67.5%). For the diabetic patient, 29.1% of the students felt that the treatment plan should not be changed if the diabetes was well balanced. 25.6% of the students felt that the treating physician should be contacted to find out if the diabetes was indeed balanced. For the patient with Parkinson's disease, 19.7% felt that care should be performed under deep sedation or general anesthesia. In the case of a patient undergoing radiotherapy for cavum cancer with alcoholism and smoking, 23.9% of the students thought that implants should not be used because of the healing delay, but also because of the risk of osteoradionecrosis and peri-implantitis. 20.4% thought that the treatment should be carried out before the radiotherapy. Conclusion: Our investigation revealed the weakness of students at the end of their training to undertake precautions for specific clinical situations. Learning methods and ongoing student evaluation must be implemented to ensure better preparation of students for their professional careers.