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CC BY 4.0 · Eur J Dent 2023; 17(04): 1179-1188
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1758793
Original Article

Comparative Analysis of Manual Dexterity of Dental Students at Ajman University following One Academic Year of Preclinical Training Sessions: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Authors

  • Musab Saeed

    1   Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
    2   Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Mohammed B.Q. Alfarra

    3   Department of Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Mawada Hassan Abdelmagied

    3   Department of Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Karrar Hadi

    1   Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Tareq Aljafarawi

    1   Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Noor Al-Rawi

    4   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  • Asmaa T. Uthman

    5   Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Salem Abu Fanas

    1   Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
    2   Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  • Natheer H. Al Rawi 

    6   Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Abstract

Objectives Dental students must complete two stages of training, namely, preclinical training on phantom head models and clinical training on actual patients to acquire the practical skills required by their Bachelor of Dental Surgery program.

Our objectives are to evaluate the level of improvement of the manual skills obtained by third-year dental students after one full academic year of preclinical training courses using dexterity tests under direct and indirect vision and to compare the improvement among male and female dental students under the same conditions.

Materials and Methods A total of 72 preclinical students participated in our cohort trial, each of whom was assigned a random identification number that was only known to the researchers. After the beginning of the academic year, the experiment was performed under identical conditions for both the O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test and the Purdue Pegboard Test. The examinations were conducted at two distinct times: T0 before phantom laboratory training (the beginning of preclinical sessions) and T1 after phantom laboratory training (9 months after T0).

Statistical Analysis Signed-rank test of Wilcoxon over two separate periods (T0 and T1), comparisons were made between the direct and indirect visual dexterity test scores. In addition, the Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare results across gender. The statistical significance (p-value) was set at below 0.05 with a confidence level of 95%.

Results A statistically significant difference was detected between the T0 and T1 assessments on the Purdue Pegboard Test and the O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test for all selected dentistry students in both direct and indirect conditions (p < 0.001).

Conclusion Further investigation in other dental departments or schools, particularly those with different entry standards, is required prior to making a definitive conclusion about the use of these dexterity assessments as predictors of prospective dental students' performance.

Keywords

preclinical training - manual dexterity - dental students - Purdue Pegboard Test - O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
19. Dezember 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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