Current status of direct gold in teaching and licensure

A questionnaire on the teaching of direct gold was mailed to each dental school in the United States, and a telephone survey of direct gold requirements on all state and regional licensure examining boards was conducted. While the vast majority of schools still teach direct gold in some form, there is a definite trend toward deemphasis of this material both in dental education and in licensing examinations. Cited as major reasons for this decline are (1) the observation that relatively few practicing dentists offer direct gold as a treatment alternative, (2) the decline in faculty motivation and dedication in teaching the techniques, and (3) the shifting of available curriculum time away from direct gold to other areas of restorative dentistry.