Effectiveness of Using a Patient Simulator with Real-Time Feedback to Improve Light-Curing Skills of Dental Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of employing a patient simulator with an integrated visual feedback mechanism to improve the light-curing skills of dental students. A total of 44 third-year dental students were randomly divided into a control group (n = 22) and a training group (n = 22). Both groups light-cured a simulated restoration in tooth 27 in a patient simulator (MARC Patient Simulator, BlueLight Analytics, Halifax, Canada) by using the same curing device for 10 s. Delivered irradiances were recorded in real time by the built-in spectrophotometer. After measuring the baseline irradiances for both groups, the training group received detailed light-curing instructions and hands-on training with immediate visual feedback using the patient simulator. The irradiance of the training group was re-measured after the training. Both groups then attended a 26-day preclinical course, which involved placing 30 composite restorations. Upon completion of this course, the light-curing performance of both groups was re-assessed. The data were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Friedman’s ANOVA, and the Mann-Whitney U-test at an overall level of significance of α = 0.05. At baseline, the control and the training group delivered statistically similar irradiances with similar data scattering. In the training group, data scattering was considerably reduced after the hands-on training with the patient simulator. After the 26-day preclinical course, the irradiance of the training group was significantly higher and considerably less scattered compared to the control group. In conclusion, training with the patient simulator improved the light-curing performance of the dental students, mainly by helping them to deliver light energy more consistently.