Cesario Simone, Rizzo Gabriella, Manso M Conceição, Barbosa Claudia, Gavinha Sandra, Reis Tiago
Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal; RISE-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Fernando Pessoa Teaching and Culture Foundation, Porto, Portugal; LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Eur Endod J. 2025 Jul;10(4):270-277. doi: 10.14744/eej.2025.95867.
This study assessed students' perceptions of artificial teeth (AT) after completing the Endodontics I, II, and III curricular units at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa University, Porto, Portugal. Additionally, the study aims to review existing literature on students' perceptions of three-dimensional (3D) printed models used in pre-clinical training, identifying current challenges and future needs for improvement.
A questionnaire was adapted, consisting of 24 questions, using a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree), in which students had to compare AT with natural teeth (NT) in various aspects of anatomy and endodontic procedures. For the review of literature, a search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science up to March 16, 2025. The search included the keywords: endodontics; natural teeth; artificial teeth; 3D printed teeth; teaching; pre-clinical training and dental education, both individually and in combination using the Boolean operator 'AND'. Relevant original research studies and review articles, published in English were selected without time restrictions. Additionally, cross-references were examined for further relevant studies.
Overall, students expressed a favorable opinion of AT in relation to external anatomy, radiopacity with files or gutta-percha, ease of acquisition, superior hygiene, and the simplicity of performing endodontic procedures. Conversely, students reported negative perceptions of AT concerning internal anatomy, pulp chamber size, canal shape and size, radiopacity, tactile sensation during access cavity preparation and pulp chamber entry, tactile feedback during endodontic procedures and debris removal, and the adequacy of AT for understanding endodontic techniques.
The incorporation of AT into endodontic training represents a significant advancement toward standardization and improved efficiency in dental education. However, AT cannot fully replicate the tactile feedback and anatomical characteristics of NT. Although AT offers advantages in terms of consistency and availability, their limitations in mimicking the tactile sensation and radiopacity remain critical factors influencing students' perceptions. These findings underscore the need for continued development of AT that more closely mimics the properties of NT. (EEJ-2025-03-047).
本研究评估了葡萄牙波尔图费尔南多·佩索阿大学健康科学学院的学生在完成牙髓病学I、II和III课程单元后对人工牙（AT）的看法。此外，该研究旨在回顾关于学生对临床前培训中使用的三维（3D）打印模型看法的现有文献，确定当前的挑战和未来改进的需求。
采用一份由24个问题组成的问卷，使用从1（强烈不同意）到5（强烈同意）的5点李克特量表，学生必须在解剖学和牙髓病治疗程序的各个方面将人工牙与天然牙（NT）进行比较。为了进行文献综述，截至2025年3月16日，在PubMed、MEDLINE、Scopus和科学网进行了搜索。搜索关键词包括：牙髓病学；天然牙；人工牙；3D打印牙齿；教学；临床前培训和牙科教育，单独使用或使用布尔运算符“AND”组合使用。选择了无时间限制的以英文发表的相关原创研究和综述文章。此外，还检查了交叉引用以寻找进一步的相关研究。
总体而言，学生对人工牙在外部解剖结构、与锉或牙胶尖的射线不透性、易于获取、更高的卫生标准以及进行牙髓病治疗程序的简易性方面给予了好评。相反，学生对人工牙在内部解剖结构、髓腔大小、根管形状和大小、射线不透性、开髓制备和进入髓腔时的触觉感受、牙髓病治疗程序和清除碎屑时的触觉反馈以及人工牙对理解牙髓病治疗技术的充分性方面表达了负面看法。
将人工牙纳入牙髓病培训代表了牙科教育在标准化和提高效率方面的重大进步。然而，人工牙不能完全复制天然牙的触觉反馈和解剖特征。尽管人工牙在一致性和可用性方面具有优势，但它们在模拟触觉感受和射线不透性方面的局限性仍然是影响学生看法的关键因素。这些发现强调了需要继续开发更接近天然牙特性的人工牙。（EEJ - 2025 - 03 - 047）
