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Spatial Abilities and Endodontic Access Cavity Preparation: Implications for Dental Education
Philippine Collet1,2, Robenson Tra1, Anna Reitmann3
1Faculté d'Odontologie, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
Summary
Dental students with lower spatial abilities performed poorer on endodontic access cavity preparations, resulting in larger cavities. This highlights the need to enhance spatial reasoning skills in dental education for improved root canal treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Endodontics
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Access cavity preparation is a complex dental procedure.
- Students often struggle with spatial orientation during drilling for root canal treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of spatial abilities on endodontic access cavity preparation quality.
- To assess the relationship between spatial skills and preparation outcomes in dental students.
Main Methods:
- Third-year dental students voluntarily participated.
- Spatial ability was assessed using the mental rotation test (MRT).
- Access cavities were prepared on 3D-printed molars and evaluated based on morphology, canal access, and other parameters using principal component analysis (PCA).
Main Results:
- Principal component analysis identified two main components influencing variations, with MRT scores significantly impacting cavity morphology.
- Lower MRT scores correlated with larger access cavity preparations.
- Operative time influenced cavity morphology but was not correlated with higher MRT scores.
Conclusions:
- Spatial abilities significantly affect the quality of endodontic access cavity preparations.
- Curriculum adaptations may be necessary to improve students' spatial reasoning skills.
- Further research should explore the benefits of 3D atlas exercises in dental education.
