Wax carving exercises predict performance on practical examinations for first-year dental students.

Perceptual ability test (PAT) is a valid determinant for spatial perceptions. However, a validated psychomotor skill test for dentistry does not currently exist. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether the results of two wax carving exercises (E1 and E2), PAT, quantitative reasoning (QR), and academic average (AA) tests predict students' performance on dental anatomy practical examinations. METHODS: First-year dental students (n = 69) participated in the study. Results of the PAT, QR, and AA were obtained from the Admissions Office. Participants completed wax carving exercises during the first (E1) and last weeks (E2) of the dental anatomy course. Carving instruments, instruction, and rubrics, were provided to participants who were instructed to carve a cube and a semicircle shape into a wax block using the wax subtraction technique. Two calibrated and blinded faculty graded the exercise as ideal, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory in four categories: finish, sharpness, symmetry, and accuracy. During the dental anatomy course, participants completed wax carving practical examinations for a maxillary central incisor and a mandibular first molar. Examinations were graded by calibrated faculty as ideal, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. The linear mixed effects model assessed influences of independent variables on the practical examinations. RESULTS: estimates of the independent variables on the practical examinations were PAT (0.027), AA (0.088), QR (-0.014), E1 (0.235), and E2 (0.175). CONCLUSIONS: wax carving exercises were stronger predictors of performance on the practical examinations than the PAT, AA, and QR. This simple exercise may help identify students early in their preclinical education requiring additional assistance.

The Effects of Faculty Calibration on Caries Risk Assessment and Quality Assurance.

Accurate caries risk assessment (CRA) plays a pivotal role in managing the disease of dental caries. The aim of this quality assurance study was to determine if faculty calibration training using a specific set of guidelines in a single session would improve the faculty members' CRA decision making. A calibration seminar was held in December 2014 at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, during which seven completed CRA forms for simulated patients were used to test 55 faculty members' risk assignment level before and after an instructional lecture was given. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of faculty members responding correctly for five of the seven cases on the pre- and posttests (p<0.01). One case showed no significant increase in correct responses (p=0.07), and on the seventh case, which presented low caries risk, there was a significant decrease in the percentage responding correctly (p<0.0001) due to an increase in the proportion overestimating caries risk. This study's findings were consistent with those in previous studies that, without calibration, faculty members are not necessarily accurate at CRA diagnosis. Since the calibration training improved these faculty members' caries risk assessment scoring, future studies should extend to evaluations for both faculty and students.