Distinguishing skill levels with haptic simulation in restorative dentistry: Myth or reality?

Abstract

This study aims to validate that haptic simulator assistance could distinguish skill levels with haptic simulation in restorative dentistry. This work was carried out with 93 first-year, 87 third-year and 44 fifth-year dental students. The promotions of first- and fifth-year dental students made one session to represent the negative and the positive controls, respectively. The third-year dental students were the studied population. Whatever the group, the maximum time for each reparation was restricted to 3 min. All students have to perform the same three exercises. The third-year dental students performed four sessions spread over the whole university year. For each test, the total score provided by the simulator was recorded and analysed. The exercises are not discriminating in direct vision while the exercise in indirect vision is very interesting to distinguish the levels of the learners. The results underline that the exercises in indirect vision could distinguish different profiles of student having different preclinical and clinical levels, while making it possible to follow the acquisition of clinical competence.