Knowledge, Attitudes and Practical Experience With CAD/CAM Technology Among Dental Students in Croatia: A...

CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing) technology has become integral to modern dental practice, requiring structured integration into dental education. However, little is known about how well dental students in Croatia understand and engage with these technologies. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practical experience with CAD/CAM among dental students in Osijek, and to explore the influence of academic year, gender and family background in dentistry on these dimensions.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek, including 102 students from the 3rd to 6th year., with 44 (44.88%) in preclinical and 58 (55.12%) in clinical training. A 21-item questionnaire assessed theoretical knowledge, practical exposure and attitudes. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-tests and chi-square tests (p < 0.05).

While 88.24% of students had heard of CAD/CAM, only 45.10% had practical experience and just 11.76% had attended extracurricular CAD/CAM training. Nonetheless, 90.20% believed CAD/CAM should be more thoroughly taught, and 85.29% expressed interest in further education. Clinical-year students and those with family in dentistry showed significantly higher knowledge and more positive attitudes (p < 0.001), whereas no significant gender differences were observed (p = 0.222).

The findings indicate a gap between theoretical familiarity and practical competence among Croatian dental students regarding CAD/CAM technology. To address this, we recommend the development of a structured undergraduate CAD/CAM module that includes theoretical instruction, digital simulation and supervised clinical training across all study years. Such curriculum development is essential to prepare future dentists for the demands of digital clinical practice.