The soap carving versus the digital sculpting: Evaluation of students’ preferences and performance in dental anatomy course: Pilot study

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in students’ preferences between soap carving (SC) and digital sculpting (DS) methods after obtaining tooth with both methods, their opinions about the methods and their performance in the dental anatomy course. Materials and Methods: The SC and DS methods were demonstrated. Students were asked to obtain a maxillary central incisor by both methods and to record time. Students’ preferences were asked both before and after applying both methods. The level of significance for statistical analysis was set at p ≤.05. Results: Forty first year preclinical students (24 female, 16 male) participated in this study. Their mean age was 19.38 years ±1.00 year. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean time of the DS method according to gender (p =.004) and the mean time of DS and SC methods for females (p =.015). There was also a statistically significant difference between preferences of students for “In the future while treating the patient in the clinic, I learned with ………… method in the preclinic will be more useful for me.” statement, before and after applying both methods (p =.034). Conclusions: The obtaining the tooth of the students with DS method were longer than with SC method (especially in the females). After applying both methods, the students changed their minds that learning the information about the SC and DS methods would have a similar effect when treating patients in the clinic.