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Effectiveness of custom-designed pointed laser light for teaching intraoral radiographic technique to undergraduate
Suresh Kandagal Veerabhadrappa1, Seema Yadav2, Nandan Ganesh3
1Department of Oral Diagnostic sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, SEGi University, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Objectives:
Intraoral periapical radiographic techniques are mandatory exercises taught to undergraduate students during their training. The key challenges encountered while teaching the bisecting angle technique (BAT) include correctly positioning the X-ray cone and adjusting the central X-ray beam to the tooth of interest. To address this, a custom-designed pointed laser light (CDPLL) was fabricated and attached to the X-ray cone. This study evaluated the effectiveness of CDPLL compared to conventional BAT in acquiring quality radiographs, reducing errors, and evaluating students' perceptions through a questionnaire.
Methods:
Third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students were divided into two groups of 26 each. Group 1 used Conventional BAT, while Group 2 employed Laser-Assisted BAT on a mannequin. Both techniques were taught through theory and clinical demonstrations. Students took radiographs of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars of both jaws. Group 1 students then transitioned to Laser-Assisted BAT and repeated the radiographs. Inter-group and intra-group comparisons of radiographic quality and errors were analyzed using Chi-Square tests.
Results:
Group 2 produced more excellent (41.8%) and acceptable (47.6%) radiographs, with fewer unacceptable ones (10.6%) than Group 1 (p < 0.001). Transitioning from conventional BAT to Laser-Assisted BAT in Group 1 led to significantly higher excellent (41.8%) and lower unacceptable (7.2%) radiographs (p < 0.001). Errors were significantly higher in Group 1 (81.5%) compared to Group 2 (59.5%) (p < 0.001). Common errors included cone cut and overlapping while foreshortening was the least frequent error. Over 80% of students felt CDPLL effectively guided the central X-ray beam and expressed interest in using it in the future.
Conclusions:
The CDPLL affixed to the X-ray cone serves as an effective teaching tool for taking high-quality radiographs, yielding a higher number of excellent and acceptable radiographs while minimizing repetition and errors. It also aids students in adjusting the X-ray cone and central beam to the desired teeth.
