Digital anatomy table in teaching-learning process of the temporomandibular joint anatomy

The use of teaching resources and digital objects has gradually been incorporated into dental schools. This study aimed to evaluate the digital anatomy table in teaching-learning process of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy and the student's perception regarding this resource.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 41 undergraduate dental students. Knowledge assessment tests were applied at different time intervals: before and after the TMJ theoretical class, after the practical class on prosected specimens and after the use of digital anatomy table. The medians of the scores obtained in the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table) were descriptively analysed and submitted to Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Student-Newman-Keuls statistical tests. The perception survey was conducted at the end of the study.

When the teaching strategies were compared amongst each other, the medians of the scores with the digital anatomy table were significantly higher than after the theoretical and practical classes. At the end of the research, there were no differences amongst the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table). Regarding the perception, the majority of the students reported that the digital anatomy table helped them to understand the content of the theoretical class.

It was concluded that learning with the use of the digital anatomy table did not increase the knowledge of dental students with respect to the TMJ anatomy. The students' perceptions of the digital anatomy table were positive and that it could be used as an additional resource in the teaching-learning process.