Development of an Interprofessional Education Project in Dentistry Based on the Positive Behavior Support Theory: Pilot Curriculum Development and Validation Study

Background: Effective interprofessional education (IPE) can facilitate teamwork between dentists and dental technicians, thereby enabling the efficient provision of high-quality dental care.

Objective: This study aimed to design and assess an IPE module named Project 35, which was offered to dental and dental technology students early in their undergraduate training as a precursor to a more comprehensive IPE curriculum in dentistry and dental technology.

Methods: Leveraging positive behavior support (PBS) theory, Project 35 was devised as an innovation and entrepreneurship educational training framework. It used project-based learning to cultivate teamwork skills and to promote the professional development of dental and dental technology students. The pilot study was designed to present the IPE module and preliminarily assess its validity. In survey 1, which was conducted immediately after the course, the dental and dental technology students' self-reported skill acquisition and attitudes were assessed and compared. Survey 2, conducted 1 year after the course, focused on the comparative benefits of Project 35 training for dental technology students versus an untrained group.

Results: A total of 66 students, including 36 dental students and 30 dental technology students who had undertaken the training, were recruited. Project 35 training improved teamwork skills for students in both disciplines comparably, and the students recognized the training as highly valuable and effective. The mean values for all items indicating skills improvement of students ranged from 4.13 (SD 0.797) to 4.63 (SD 0.495) for dental students and from 4.13 (SD 0.869) to 4.74 (SD 0.619) for dental technology students. Among the dental technology students, the trained group showed greater independent and innovative approaches and was more optimistic about the future of the profession than the nontrained group (P<.05).

Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, the validity of the Project 35 training system was evident, and the success of our pilot study provides a sound basis for the future development of IPE in clinical dental and dental technology education programs.