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The Effect of a Targeted Educational Intervention on Light-Curing Confidence and Skills in Multidisciplinary Dental
Ibtesam Alzain1, Afnan O Al-Zain2
1Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Purpose:
Light-curing plays a vital role in various dental procedures across specialties; however, previous studies have revealed significant gaps in knowledge and practice, highlighting the necessity for focused educational interventions to enhance skills and confidence in this area.
Aim:
To evaluate the confidence, knowledge, clinical practice skills, and performance of dental residents from different specialties before and after an educational intervention on light-curing.
Methods:
Forty-nine residents from restorative, pediatric, and orthodontic departments were invited to partake in this light-curing training, conducted over three sessions. (i) Pre-assessment surveys regarding satisfaction, confidence, knowledge, and clinical practice were collected, along with pre-assessment light-curing measurements of the irradiance and radiant exposure values delivered to simulated restorations using a patient simulator (MARC-PS, Bluelight). (ii) An interactive lecture. (iii) Post-assessment light-curing followed by post-surveys. Statistical analysis utilized the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (p < 0.05).
Results:
The response rate was 83% (n = 34). The median irradiance and radiant exposure values were recorded as 1234-1263 mW/cm2, 12.5-12.8 J/cm2, and 1258-1441 mW/cm2, 12.7-14.5 J/cm2 before and after the educational intervention, respectively. Significant improvements in knowledge were observed among restorative and pediatric residents (p < 0.05). The clinical practice skills of residents from all three disciplines showed improvement following the intervention (p < 0.05). Restorative residents generally outperformed the others. Significant correlations were identified between satisfaction with past learning, self-confidence in learning, and light-curing performance (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Incorporating comprehensive light-curing training into graduate dental curricula across specialties is recommended for enhancing resident performance and confidence through targeted educational strategies.
