Admissions data as predictors for student performance in restorative dentistry

The purpose of the study was to determine the relative predictive power of admissions criteria and predoctoral academic performance in the area of restorative dentistry in order to better understand and guide the dental school admissions process.

In addition to admissions criteria, student performance in restorative dentistry, such as the Final Restorative Treatment course, the didactic and preclinical examinations, and the objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), was measured for the 172 predoctoral students representing the graduating classes of 2017-2021.

The association between the didactic score in restorative dentistry and grade point average (GPA, p = 0.009) and Dental Admission Test (DAT, p = 0.002) score was statistically significant. Although no statistically significant association was found between preclinical scores and gender, GPA, or DAT, there was a statistically significant association between preclinical scores and the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT) score (p = 0.012). Preclinical scores included laboratory examinations for fixed prosthodontics, such as crown preparation and temporization, representing hand skills assessment. Finally, there was no statistically significant association found between the OSCE score and any of the admissions criteria.

The dental admissions criteria could play a role in predicting academic performance in the didactic portion and preclinical component of restorative dentistry.