Knowledge Retention in Tooth Morphology Among Dental Hygienists

Dental hygienists play an essential role in promoting oral health and preventing oral diseases. A strong foundation in tooth morphology is critical for effective dental hygiene practise. This study aims to evaluate and compare tooth morphology knowledge among undergraduate dental hygiene students and practising dental hygienists.

A Tooth Identification Examination was conducted with 54 first-year dental hygiene students (Control Group) and 58 practising dental hygienists (Experimental Group). Participants were tasked with identifying 40 extracted teeth, with errors categorised into three levels of severity: Type 1 (Side/Group Misplacement), Type 2 (Incorrect Jaw Identification) and Type 3 (Misidentification of the Main Tooth Group). For the practising hygienists, the relationship between years of professional experience and identification errors was analysed.

Results revealed that dental hygienists had a significantly lower correct identification rate compared to students (p < 0.001). Among the hygienists, 40 (68.96%) made 10 or more errors, and 32 (55.17%) failed the test by exceeding 12 errors. On average, this group made 18.93 errors, with Types 2 and 3 errors accounting for 71.95% of all mistakes. A significant increase in errors was observed with more years of experience (p < 0.001).

These findings demonstrate a positive correlation between identification errors and clinical experience among hygienists, suggesting a decline in long-term retention of foundational knowledge. Maintaining essential competencies requires ongoing reinforcement beyond initial learning. Integrating tooth morphology into continuing education programmes could help address these gaps, improve retention and enhance professional performance over time.