Effects of Structured Panoramic Radiograph Interpretation Training on Dental Students' Visual Attention: A Pre-Post...

This study aimed to investigate changes in dental students' visual attention and visual search behavior during panoramic radiograph interpretation before and after structured panoramic interpretation training using objective eye-tracking metrics. A pre-post educational eye tracking study was conducted with 40 dental students. Participants examined six panoramic radiographs under free-viewing conditions, followed by a structured training session delivered by an experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologist, introducing a standardized region-by-region interpretation protocol. Following training, significant changes were observed in all fixation- and visit-based metrics in both dentate and extra-dental regions (p < 0.001). The magnitude of change was substantially greater in extra-dental regions, where fixation count and total fixation duration increased by approximately fivefold compared with baseline values. Visit-based metrics demonstrated similar patterns, more systematic visual search behavior after training. Gender-stratified analyses revealed broadly similar improvements across genders, with limited between-gender differences in change scores observed for fixation duration-related parameters. Structured panoramic interpretation training redistributed students' visual attention toward previously underexamined extra-dental anatomical regions, resulting in a more balanced inspection of panoramic radiographs. Furthermore, eye tracking provides an objective process-based approach for evaluating educational interventions in dental radiology.