# Improvement of surgical skills in students using a newly developed 3D printed osteotomy model of a partially retained wisdom tooth

## TL;DR

A 3D-printed model for practicing wisdom tooth surgery was developed and tested, showing it helps students improve surgical skills but doesn't replace real clinical experience.

## Contribution

A new 3D-printed osteotomy model for partially retained wisdom teeth was developed and evaluated for dental education.

## Key findings

- The model was deemed suitable for student training, except for the gingiva mask.
- Students with phantom experience performed better in incision tasks compared to those with clinical experience.
- Phantom exercises improved student skills but did not fully replace the benefits of clinical experience.

## Abstract

Against the background of digitalization, practicing on 3-D models for dental education has become more important. To improve the surgical skills of dental students, this study aimed to develop a 3-D-printed model for osteotomy of a partially retained lower wisdom tooth and evaluate surgical skills of students with practical experience acquired through phantom exercises compared to students who acquired experience only by assisting oral surgeons.

We developed a 3-D model that allows dental students to perform an osteotomy of a partially retained real wisdom tooth in region 48. The model was evaluated by oral surgeons (OS; n = 5), students with phantom experience (PE; n = 26), and students with experience with clinical assistance (CE; n = 29). Additionally, student performance was rated.

The OS, PE, and CE groups all evaluated the model as suitable for student courses, except for the gingiva mask. The CE group developed slightly better. In the exercise, the PE group showed better incision results, while the CE group was slightly better in the preparation of the working field.

The osteotomy model is suitable for hands-on courses for dental students, but the gingiva should be improved. However, phantom exercise cannot replace clinical experience.

To improve education, knowledge and self confidence of students in dental school.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08394-y.