IADR Abstract Archives
PhantHome tool might improves manual performances of dental students
Objectives: The acquisition of basic manual skills in dentistry, drilling and restorations, is obtained by exercising on plastic teeth placed in a "phantom head simulator". No specific trainings are given to students as home practicing that might improve their basic performances. We developed a portable tool for home training for the very basic motor skills required in dentistry: orientation in the oral cavity particularly while observing missions via dental mirror. We hypothesized that practice on a portable tool at home in parallel to phantom training, would lead to significant improvement in performance in the early stages of the phantom courses.
Methods: A training tool (PhantHome) was developed. In a portable phantom head simulator, some teeth were replaced with novelty 3-D printing teeth with holes in different directions. The students received instructions to insert small pins using tweezers and dental mirror to the holes. These specific instructions were how to proceed with their home training from easy missions to ones that are more complicated. 41 students in the 2017 academic year (experimental group) participated in the study. PhantHome was provided for 2 weeks prior to commencing the fourth year and for additional 2 months during the traditional phantom practice. 65 students in the 2015 and 2016 academic years, without the training tool, served as historical control groups. The students' manual grades routinely provided in the phantom laboratory were compared between the control and experimental groups.
Results: The results showed that the students who trained with the portable tool scored an average of 13.8 points higher on the first phantom test (p<0.0005), and 6.2 points higher on the second indirect test (p<0.049).
Conclusions: Training in the basic skills required in dentistry using the simple portable tool in direct and indirect vision might improve dental performances in the phantom laboratory.
Methods: A training tool (PhantHome) was developed. In a portable phantom head simulator, some teeth were replaced with novelty 3-D printing teeth with holes in different directions. The students received instructions to insert small pins using tweezers and dental mirror to the holes. These specific instructions were how to proceed with their home training from easy missions to ones that are more complicated. 41 students in the 2017 academic year (experimental group) participated in the study. PhantHome was provided for 2 weeks prior to commencing the fourth year and for additional 2 months during the traditional phantom practice. 65 students in the 2015 and 2016 academic years, without the training tool, served as historical control groups. The students' manual grades routinely provided in the phantom laboratory were compared between the control and experimental groups.
Results: The results showed that the students who trained with the portable tool scored an average of 13.8 points higher on the first phantom test (p<0.0005), and 6.2 points higher on the second indirect test (p<0.049).
Conclusions: Training in the basic skills required in dentistry using the simple portable tool in direct and indirect vision might improve dental performances in the phantom laboratory.