Effect of Training Method on Dental Students’ Light‐Curing Performance

Abstract

The aims of this study were to evaluate 1) the effect of different light-curing training methods on first-year dental students' light-curing performance immediately after and one year after training and 2) the effect of dental student year (first vs. third year) and different light-curing training methods on students' light-curing efficacy. The study was organized into two parts, conducted in 2013 and 2014. In the first part, all students (N=66) in the first-year restorative course at a Canadian dental school were invited to participate in a light-curing activity immediately after training; after 12 months, those students (now in their second year) were asked to again perform the light-curing activity. In the second part, all the subsequent first-year students (N=75) and third-year students (N=95) were invited to perform the same light-curing activity after training. Each class was divided into three groups: the Control group received a lecture; the Tips group received the same lecture plus tips on "7 Steps to Ensure Better Light Curing"; and the Simulator group received the lecture, tips, and hands-on training using the patient simulator. In the first part of the study, all 66 students participated in the first year; 39 of those participated a year later. In the second part, all students in both years participated. For the first part, time had a significant effect on light-curing performance, with significantly higher results in the second year. When the first-year students' results were isolated, training method had a significant effect on mean and maximum irradiance values. The second part found a significant effect of training on mean (p=0.003) and maximum (p=0.021) irradiance. The interaction DDS*training was significant (p=0.037) when the after-training values were analyzed. These results point to the need for further research to determine the most effective light-curing training methods.

Hands‐on training based on quantifying radiant exposure improves how dental students cure composites: Skill retention at 2‐year follow‐up

“…The radiant exposure values immediately after the training, and 5 months later were similar, which may indicate the efficacy of light cure training in retaining the skills. Opposingly, the light‐curing training was not effective in increasing the skills after 1 year 48 . These conflicting results may support the need to comprehensively investigate a more reliable and standardised method to enhance the acquisition of light‐curing skills.…”

Computer simulation and virtual reality in undergraduate operative and restorative dental education: A critical review

“…The studies covered five main themes: Manual dexterity, cavity preparation and haptics applications (19 articles 1–3,21–36 ), light curing skills (5 articles 37–41 ), predictability (3 articles 42–44 ), simulation perception and experience (7 articles 45–51 ); and model development (5 articles 52–56 ). Although some articles contained more than one theme, categorization was based on the primary scope of the articles.…”

Influence of dental education on eye gaze distribution when observing facial profiles with varying degrees of lip protrusion

“…In summary, the eye‐tracking evaluation method used in the present study is quantitative, objective, and unconscious. The results indicate that the effect of dental education is elucidated more efficiently by eye‐tracking than by the use of questionnaires 16–19 or assessment tests 20–23 . It is suggested that the perception on the facial appearance can be changed by the dental education.…”

“…Examining and analyzing the effect of dental education is significant for the improvement of educational methods. The outcomes of dental education have been previously evaluated using questionnaires 16–19 and assessment tests 20–23 . Questionnaires are subjective and assessment tests are objective, but conscious.…”