RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Ryan Schettig
Independent Research
2015-2016
Title: What is the Best Overall Tool in Dentistry
Introduction and Overview of Research:
The general area of investigation is the field of dentistry. The problem I am
attempting to solve is the lack of knowledge about the different tools of dentistry. I
am attempting to solve it by making an informative website. Finally in the end I
hope to prove that lasers are the better option in dentistry than drills are.
Background and Rationale
Dentists have been using drills from the beginning of dentistry. However a new
device was introduced and this device is the laser. In 1990 when the first laser
specifically designed for dentistry was introduced is when lasers began their role in
dentistry. From then on lasers has been a growing part of the dental field. Lasers
seem to be the next step in dentistry however not all dentists use lasers. Lasers
are a debated topic in the field of dentistry and through the use of surveys we will
find out dentists view on lasers or drills.
Lasers seem to improve over drills in almost every way. The only downside to
lasers is the time it takes to do the operation. Lasers also have more utility than
drills having a wide array of uses compared to drills. Overall lasers seem to
improve over drills in almost every way.
This research is being conducted in order to try and help dental patients
experience. It hopes to compare drills to lasers in order to find the truly superior
device in hopes that finding the better one will allow dental patients to improve
their experience. This is important because it is every persons right to receive the
best care possible and by informing them on which option is the best it allows
them to have the best treatment.
Research Methodology:
Research Question: what is the better overall device in dentistry the laser or the
drill?
Research Thesis: Dental lasers are superior to dental drills in almost every way.
Some elements that may be argued in the paper are: which device is better and
why, why the pros outweigh the cons and vice versa, and whether aspects of each
device are considered improvements or downgrades
Descriptive Research- This project will be qualitative research. This design model
was chosen because the researcher wants to get information from the dentists
themselves and the best way to do this is through descriptive qualitative research.
There are not any variables in this research
Data Collection- The researcher is proposing a survey as the research method. The
data will collected from dentists. This is ideal collection method as the researcher
wants to get the dentists opinions about each specific dental method.
How are you conducting primary research or creating something original? In other
words, how will you create information, rather than just recycling what is already
available? How will your literature review support your data collection?
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Product Objectives:
The product of the study will be a website intended to inform dental patients about
the better device for certain treatments. The researcher chose this because he
thinks it is the best way to relay information to dental patients who want to inform
themselves
The specific target audience is dental patients 18 and older. This is the target
audience because these are the people that choose their dentist and choose which
dentists their kids go to so it would be best to inform them.
The product will be communicated to them through a website with tabs on the
most effective device for specific operations
Logistical Considerations:
The project and product does not have any logistical considerations besides the
fact that the survey takers must give consent to be able to publish their responses
A timeline will be added that outlines the data collection, product development,
and audience distribution.
Approval:
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Student Signature
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References
Pohlhaus, S. R. (n.d.). Lasers in Dentistry: Minimally Invasive Instruments for the Modern
Practice.
Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.dentalcare.com/en-US/dental-education/
continuing-education/ce394/ce394.aspx?
ModuleName=coursecontent&PartID=1&SectionID=-1