title: Physical characteristics of the hand and early clinical skills. Their relationship in a group of dental hygiene students.
abstract: Twelve hand measurements were made on 45 first-year dental hygiene students within one week of their entering a dental hygiene program. Multiple regression was performed, using three clinical examinations (use of periodontal probe, use of 3-A explorer, and use of Gracey curets) as dependent variables, to assess whether or not hand measurements predicted early clinical skill development. None of the hand measurements were predictive for the explorer examination. Wrist width accounted for 13% of the variance on the probing examination and 24% of the variance on the curet examination. Finger span added 16% variance to the equation. A total of 40% variance was explained by these measures on the curet examination. Results suggest that wrist width and finger span may be important predictors of early dental hygiene clinical skill development.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California School of Dentistry, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Waldman
mesh_terms: D001077:Aptitude Tests; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013336:Students, Health Occupations