Perceptions of the use of a 3D-printed manufactured educational simulator for incisions and sutures.

BACKGROUND

The acquisition of clinical and surgical skills is fundamental to dental training. Traditional methods such as cadaveric dissection and porcine models face ethical, logistical, and reproducibility challenges. In this study, we evaluate a novel 3D-printed simulator produced with Polyjet technology for incision and suture training and compare its educational value to that of animal models.

METHODS

A total of 69 participants—27 undergraduate students, 19 postgraduate students and 23 expert oral surgeons— tested 30 identical simulators at Paris-Cité University. The simulators were created from intraoral scans using GrabCAD software and manufactured with Polyjet 3D printing. The participants observed the model, performed incisions, created gingival flaps, and sutured. They subsequently completed an 11-item satisfaction questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

RESULTS

Participants in all groups reported a high level of overall satisfaction (mean 4.50). The simulator received particularly high ratings for visual realism (mean 4.14) and educational interest (mean 4.48), with postgraduate students providing the highest visual scores (4.26) and experts providing slightly lower scores (4.04). The participants recommended improvements in tissue adhesion, detachment, thickness, and suture resistance to better mimic human tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

The 3D-printed simulator offers a reproducible, ethically sound alternative to animal models, delivering excellent visual fidelity and strong educational value. While tactile feedback requires further refinement, this innovative tool shows promise for improving surgical training in dental education. Future work will focus on optimizing haptic properties and expanding the application of the simulator to other surgical procedures.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07779-3.