Background: Left-handedness is the preferential use of the left hand in single-handed activities such as writing. There are many studies in the literature on left-handedness in relation to professional sports, medicine and surgery. Although dentistry largely depends on manual dexterity and hand skills, there has been little research to investigate the effect of left-handedness on clinical dentistry, particularly in Australasia.
Aim:To gain an insight into the clinical learning experience of left-handed undergraduate dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, New
Zealand.Methods: Purposive sampling of left-handed students was done within the final-year class of undergraduate dental students, and they were invited to participate in a semi-structured group interview to discuss their clinical learning experience at the Faculty. Six participants agreed to participate, and the interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim. Collected data were analysed using a thematic inductive/interpretive analysis approach according to the constructivist grounded theory.Results: All participants reported having clinical difficulties being left-handed students learning using right-handed equipment. There was a common theme of experiencing hand and wrist musculoskeletal problems as well as feeling of guilt causing patient discomfort during treatment. The majority of participants reported incidents where they were told by their supervisors to learn practising dentistry with their right hand and they felt that little guidance was given on how to operate as a left-handed clinician. All participants perceived that being a left-handed operator affected their efficiency and confidence level in their early clinical years.
Conclusion:Left-handed students have a strong sense of adaptability. However, in order to improve the learning experience regardless of the difference in the operator's preference of dominant hand, students should be provided with appropriate equipment such as ambidextrous dental chairs and professional guidance, especially during their early career.
K E Y W O R D Sclinical experience, dental students, left-handed, qualitative | 317 AL LAWATI eT AL.
| INTRODUC TI ONLaterality refers to a particular variation in humans, which involves the development of a specialised functioning in each cerebral hemisphere and the side of body it controls. 1 The most noticeable sign of laterality is handedness. This term is related to the fact that humans generally show preference to the use of a specific hand over the other in tasks that require strength, quickness and fine motor control. The majority of human population exhibit a preference to the right hand. 2 The rates of left-handers vary across different countries and locations with New Zealand, Australia, North America and Western Europe having the highest rates of left-handedness, which is about 10% of the population. 3Dentistry is a demanding profession that requires fine motor skills, spatial perception and high level of accuracy. 4 It also requires concentr...