Clinical experience improves academic outcomes in dental Oral surgery education

Abstract

IntroductionThis paper aimed to determine if the level of a dental student's clinical experience in oral surgery influences the student's oral surgery academic outcomes.Materials and MethodsThe oral surgery clinical activity and academic outcomes for all students who completed their dental training in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 from the University of Sydney were analysed for correlation.ResultsThe clinical activity performed by 313 students was recorded. There was a weak, but statistically significant, Pearson correlation between total dental extractions and academic outcomes (r = .243, p = <.001). The total number of dental extractions performed was the only statistically significant variable on academic outcomes with linear regression analysis (β = .227, p = .005; model R2 = .077). The increase of a student's clinical experience from less than 45 to more than 65 dental extractions raised their oral surgery academic results by an average of 6.4%. There were no academic benefits to earlier clinical experience.ConclusionAn increase in experience with dental extractions resulted in an increase in oral surgery academic outcomes, plateauing at 65 dental extractions. There was no academic advantage to dental student's having earlier clinical experience.