An Educational Experiment Resulting from COVID‐19: The Use of At‐Home Waxing and Webinars for Teaching a 3‐Week Intensive Course in Tooth Morphology to First Year Dental Students

Abstract

Purpose : To report the outcomes of presenting a 3 week intensive course in tooth morphology to first year dental students using ‘at‐home’ waxing projects and webinars. Materials and Methods : Students were provided with the instrumentation and materials required to complete 5 waxing projects at home during the 3 week course. In the same time period, the didactic content was presented via 11 webinar sessions. A post‐course survey provided student perspectives regarding this new experience. Results : Students were able to effectively complete high quality waxing projects at home by using step‐by‐step images and videos but the survey indicated an overwhelming preference for in‐person faculty feedback. Webinars based on the students having studied the 3D Tooth Atlas and an instructor reviewing content in the Atlas was effective in teaching the didactic aspect of tooth morphology as evidenced by the student grades and survey results. However, most of the students indicated a preference for physically going to class and being able to interact with faculty and classmates as opposed to online webinars. The condensed 3‐week version of the course was part of an expanded 4 week student orientation and worked well, allowing other clinical precursor courses to occur before their usual time in the curriculum, thereby allowing students to begin earlier patient treatment. Conclusions : The at‐home waxing exercises produced very good results by having the students use step‐by‐step images and videos in the 3D Tooth Atlas. However, the students indicated a strong preference for personal faculty feedback that was not available at home. Students effectively learned the didactic aspects of tooth morphology through the webinars with accompanying use of the 3D Tooth Atlas but again most students prefer physically going to class and being able to interact with faculty and classmates. These preferences for contact with classmates and faculty supports the natural human desire for personal interactions with other human beings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Dental education practices during COVID‐19: A scoping review

“…The domain software was operationalized as the digital programs and tools used to facilitate learning in new virtual environments. 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 In studies by Gali and Rath et al., Microsoft Paint, Pocket Paint, and Whiteboard were used for teaching preclinical prosthodontics and periodontal surgeries. 46 , 49 In both studies, most of the students benefited from this type of instruction using the noted software platforms.…”

“… 47 Next, the 3D Tooth Atlas app was used for at‐home waxing projects. 48 A postsurvey revealed an overwhelming preference for in‐person instructors feedback for waxing projects. 49 In a study by Iwanaga et al., the online virtual reality (VR) required a VR headset for lectures to show the dental surgical procedures and related anatomy in a VR Spatial workspace.…”

“…The domain software was operationalized as the digital programs and tools used to facilitate learning in new virtual environments 45–53 . In studies by Gali and Rath et al., Microsoft Paint, Pocket Paint, and Whiteboard were used for teaching preclinical prosthodontics and periodontal surgeries 46,49 .…”

“…All respondents (100%) believed that the application helped them understand the techniques of local anesthesia 47 . Next, the 3D Tooth Atlas app was used for at‐home waxing projects 48 . A postsurvey revealed an overwhelming preference for in‐person instructors feedback for waxing projects 49 .…”

Impact of COVID-19 on dental education- a scoping review

“…For quality and method-related challenges in teaching and learning, the following solutions have been suggested or primarily tested: further adaptation and modification of teaching methods, investment in virtual reality and the use of portable equipment (mannequins) [ 18 , 46 – 48 ]; distance learning and virtual training as an alternative to face-to-face classes and technology acceptance to support clinical and theoretical education [ 17 , 19 , 25 , 32 , 42 , 49 , 50 ]; the use of information and communication technology platforms and online education methods (online and live lectures, lectures and notes sent in the virtual learning environment, receiving notes via email and content production on the website, Instagram and YouTube) [ 21 , 28 , 30 , 51 , 52 ]; inter-institutional training programs (such as the COVID program) [ 53 ]; patients data collection and discussion without the need for their presence, virtual computerized patients (VIPs), and clinical task simulations [ 38 , 54 , 55 ]; easier and more regular access to e-learning resources [ 56 ]; benefitting from intelligence technology for the learning process [ 57 ]; easy-to-use virtual reality (VR) device [ 57 – 59 ]; access to textbooks in PDF format on the faculty website [ 58 , 60 ]; and using images and videos present in the ‘3D Tooth Atlas’ [ 61 ].…”