Comparative Evaluation of Clinical Deviations in Occlusal Rest Seat Preparation Following Digitally Assisted and Conventional Preclinical Training: A Pilot Study
Phuong Thai Nguyen, Chau Tran Bao Vu, Van Ngoc Khanh Tran, Hung Trong Hoang, Tri Minh DoanAbstract
The integration of digital technology into preclinical training has become a global trend in dental education. This study aimed to compare deviations from the standard rest seat and the time required for occlusal rest seat preparation during removable partial denture (RPD) treatment in patients between two groups trained preclinically with and without digital assistance, thereby providing evidence to support educational innovation at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City.
This pilot clinical comparative study evaluated 20 occlusal rest seats prepared by two groups of postgraduate dental trainees who received either traditional or digitally assisted preclinical training. All procedures were performed in patients undergoing RPD treatment at the Center of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. Deviations from the standard rest seat were assessed in both workflows: On gypsum casts for the conventional workflow and on 3D-printed models for the digitally assisted workflow. Each preparation was compared with a standardized reference using an intraoral scanner and prepCheck software, applying a tolerance of 0.1 mm. Statistical analysis was performed using a permutation-based Hotelling's T 2 test with Monte Carlo permutations.
There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding deviations between trainee-prepared rest seats and the standardized reference preparations (p = 0.746). However, the digital training group required significantly more preparation time than the conventional training group (p = 0.045).
In this pilot study, digitally assisted preclinical training exhibited clinical deviations comparable to conventional preclinical training in occlusal rest seat preparation; however, further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to substantiate these findings.