title: Effects of additional teaching of final-year dental students on their radiographic diagnosis of caries.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the skills of final-year dental students in the diagnostic interpretation of bitewing radiographs could be improved by additional didactic instruction. 6 consecutive classes of students in the same stage of education (last semester in the Department of Operative Dentistry) took part in the investigation from 1995 to 1998. At the beginning of each semester, the same in vivo made bitewing radiograph was demonstrated in a separate radiology revision lecture and interpreted with the students. The intensification of the training in the diagnosis of bitewing radiographs was made when the 4th class of students started. At the end of each semester, each student of the 6 consecutive classes was asked to evaluate the same bitewing radiograph, which had been demonstrated at the start of the semester. The students were not told that they had already diagnosed from this radiograph before. The results of the radiographic diagnosis were then analyzed using an evaluation system paying special attention to the treatment decision. True positive and true negative diagnoses were scored as correct and false positives and false negatives as incorrect. There was no significant difference (ANOVA) in the ability to diagnose from bitewing radiographs between the groups of students who received, and those who did not receive, additional training. The benefits of this type of additional instruction in the last semester in the Department of Operative Dentistry seem only to be important in some individual cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg i. Br., Germany. wrbas@zmk2.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Wrbas
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kielbassa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulte-Mönting
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hellwig
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003804:Dentin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*