Simulation’s usage in training for dental trauma

Abstract

Background and Aim: Majority of the dentists gain hands on experience in managing dental traumas after entering into the field practically leading to an overall limited exposure to dental trauma injuries before their graduation time. The present study aimed to assess the dental student’s perception regarding simulation based dental trauma training. Materials and Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study involved 80 dentistry students at a Tertiary Care teaching institute of Lahore, Pakistan. A questionnaire based survey was done on final year dentistry students to answer the questions regarding their experience of simulated trauma splinting. Prior to this simulation-based practice, all participants were given a 60-minute lecture on oral trauma damage, followed by post-training questions. All the students completed simulated treatment using orthodontic wire, twist flex wire, nylon fishing line, and powermesh as splints. The glass ionomer cement and composite resin were bonding materials used. A 5-point Likert scale was used for post-training questions and answers. Results: Out of the 80 dental students, there were 46 (57.5%) male and 34 (42.5%) female students. The incidence of students who agreed and strongly agreed to their learning assisted by simulated trauma practice were 46.3% (n=37) and 33.8% (n=27) respectively.