Founded in 1988 as the first private institution of higher education in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region, Ajman University (AU) is now being recognized as an emerging leader on the global academic map.

The 2020 QS World University Rankings lists AU in the top 800 universities globally and among the top 10 worldwide for international students and faculty! The &ldquo;Top 50 Under 50&rdquo; QS Rankings names AU as one of the top 150 young universities in the world. Even our distinct location in the Dubai/Sharjah/Ajman corridor is ranked by QS as the 61st best student destination on the planet. Recently, Ajman University earned Five QS Stars in three ratings categories -- Social Responsibility, Inclusiveness and Learning Environment. We also garnered Four QS Stars for both Teaching and Internationalization.

Ajman University

Aim and Objectives: Hyperactive gag reflex (GR) can be a big obstacle in certain dental procedures especially in making an upper arch impression. Treating those might be a challenge for both the dentist and the patient. Many patients withdraw from treatment because of their inability to cope with the procedure. One of the effective modalities in controlling this phenomenon is the use of Acupuncture. In this trial, Ear acupuncture was used aiming to control hyperactive GR during upper alginate impression. Methods: A total of ten patients aged between 20 and 60 years, with a history of GR on taking dental impressions were selected to be part of this clinical trial. All patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria had an upper dental alginate impression taken (or an attempt made at it) before acupuncture and a second upper alginate impression taken immediately after acupuncture based on traditional Chinese medicine. The gagging severity index used to assess GR before insertion of the acupuncture needle while gagging prevention index was used after the acupuncture and impression taking. Results: Seven patients scored I with the reflex obtunded and the impression taking carried out successfully, one patient scored II with the reflex partially controlled and impression taking still possible, two patients scored III with the reflex partially controlled but with frequent gagging and impression taking still possible. No adverse effects were observed, and patients were fit to leave unescorted. Conclusions: Ear acupuncture was found to be effective in controlling GR in all ten participants in different levels. © 2017 European Journal of General Dentistry | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

Growth & Development

College of Dentistry

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European Journal of General Dentistry

The role of acupuncture in the treatment of prosthodontic patients with a gagging reflex

Introduction: Tools to assess knowledge, communication and clinical skill of pharmacy students providing linguistically competent patient care are needed. OSCE represents a well-established tool. Objective: To develop an OSCE assessment of student skill in asthma management in English and Arabic, and to compare students’ performance in the OSCE to traditional assessments. Methods: A blueprint was constructed to outline competencies, objectives, case scenarios, evaluations and logistics during OSCE assessments. Results: All 120 enrolled students participated. Students achieved better average scores in OSCE assessments (74.1%) than end of semester final examination (68.6%) and overall course score (72.9%). Overall, students did better in communication-type questions and general assessments rather than individualised patient assessment. Students evaluated their experience and were mostly satisfied. Conclusions: An OSCE assessment of students’ competence in asthma management administered in English and Arabic was introduced successfully. The assessment raised awareness towards introduction of Arabic language content to the curriculum. © 2016 FIP.