Electronic Pantograph as Interactive Learning Tool in Prosthodontic Education

Objectives: Occlusion and articulation are important concepts to be learned in dental school. However, the concepts are abstract and not measurable and therefore pose a challenge for the Prosthodontics educator. The purpose of this study was to see if an electronic pantographic tracing machine could serve as an interactive learning tool in Prosthodontics education.
Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this study. Cadiax from Gamma Dental (Whip Mix Corp, Louisville, KY) is an electronic pantographic tracing instrument and was used for this study. Twenty-six senior dental students participated. They were given a demonstration on the use once and were observed as they did the recordings on each other. Each student made maxillary and mandibular diagnostic casts of another student and completed a pantographic tracing exercise. After the tracing records were obtained, the student then mounted the casts based on the readings obtained from Cadiax. At the end of the exercise, each student filled out a survey on their experience with the device.
Results: Majority of the students wrote positive reviews. 88% enjoyed the experience. About 60% thought that it helped clear some of the concepts in dental occlusion, and how their articulator worked. About 86% students agreed that the records obtained helped in custom setting of their articulator and that such technology should be taught in dental schools.
Conclusions: An electronic pantographic tracing device such as the Cadiax is a good interactive tool for teaching dental occlusion to dental students.