Evaluation of dental students’ awareness about intraoral scanners

TL;DR

This study assesses dental students' awareness of intraoral scanners and finds that higher-grade students have better knowledge.

Contribution

The study evaluates and compares awareness of intraoral scanners among different academic levels of dental students.

Findings

Third-grade students had higher awareness of intraoral scanner use in skeletal Class II malocclusions.

Fifth-grade students more frequently associated intraoral scanners with indirect bonding procedures.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students showed greater knowledge than third-grade students.

Abstract

There are a few studies evaluating dental students’ knowledge and awareness of intraoral scanners. This study aims to evaluate and compare the knowledge and awareness of levels 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade dental students regarding intraoral scanners and their use in orthodontics.

A survey adapted from similar studies was administered to a total of 278 volunteer undergraduate students [comprising 3rd (n = 94), 4th (n = 88), and 5th-grade (n = 96)] to assess their awareness of intraoral scanners. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to analyze the variables within the scope of the study. The Fisher–Freeman–Halton exact test was employed to compare responses across different academic years. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Of the participants, 33.81% were 3rd-grade, 31.65% were 4th-grade, and 34.53% were 5th-grade dental students. There was no significant difference in the distribution of participants across academic grades (p > 0.05). Among the students, 96.81% of the 3rd-grade, 89.77% of the 4th-grade, and 83.33% of the 5th-grade students reported that they had never used an intraoral scanner (p < 0,05). A higher proportion of 3rd-grade students (71.28%) believed that IOSs were used in the treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusions and the fabrication of maxillary expansion appliances, compared to the other grade groups. In contrast, 5th-grade students more frequently associated IOS usage with indirect bonding procedures (63.54%) (p < 0.05).

Students in the 4th and 5th grades demonstrated a greater level of knowledge compared to 3rd-grade students. It is recommended that practical training opportunities be expanded and the dental curriculum be revised accordingly to support hands-on experience with intraoral scanners.

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