title: Convergence angles and margin widths of tooth preparations by New Zealand dental students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fundamental crown preparation principles are taught and are highly regarded in dental education. Whether tooth preparations made by dental students match these principles is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective study was to report the total occlusal convergence (TOC) and margin widths of crown preparations clinically prepared by New Zealand predoctoral dental students between 2013 and mid-2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 371 stereolithography files of tooth preparations for metal ceramic crowns prepared by predoctoral dental students were extracted from the Technical Services Laboratory database at the University of Otago. The files were put through the preparation measuring software Preppr, with outputs being TOC angles in faciolingual and mesiodistal cross sections and margin widths in facial, lingual, distal, and mesial aspects. Means, standard deviations, 95% confidence intervals, and distributions using box and whisker graphs were calculated and presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of TOC angles fell within an acceptable range of 10 to 20 degrees; however, the angles ranged from undercuts (<0 degrees) to >60 degrees. The majority of margin widths were between 0.5 and 1 mm, while the maximum was approximately 2 mm and the minimum was 0 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Predoctoral dental students in New Zealand are able to produce literature-recommended TOC angles and margin widths for metal ceramic crowns; however, further attention and training are needed for excessive tooth preparations, mainly in the form of large TOC angles.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral student, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: janinetiu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiu
authors.affiliation: Student, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Honarary Senior Lecturer, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Basil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Al-Amleh
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J Neil
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Waddell
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003442:Crowns / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018772:Dental Marginal Adaptation; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000193:education; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013335:Students, Dental; D019231:Tooth Preparation, Prosthodontic