Dental Education
Conditions
Brief summary
This randomized two-sequence crossover educational study aimed to compare theoretical and practical teaching methods for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), and prosthodontic treatment approaches among dental students. A total of 83 third-year dental students were randomly allocated to two groups. Group 1 received theoretical teaching followed by practical teaching, whereas Group 2 received practical teaching followed by theoretical teaching. Both groups received both teaching methods, which covered TMJ anatomy, disc position and function, disc displacement, clinical manifestations, joint mechanics, and prosthodontic treatment approaches. Following completion of both teaching sessions, students completed a 17-item questionnaire evaluating their perceptions of the teaching methods and their preferences regarding the most effective and ideal teaching approach.
Interventions
OTHERTheoretical Teaching
A slide-assisted theoretical teaching session covering temporomandibular joint anatomy, disc position and function, disc displacement with and without reduction, clinical manifestations, joint mechanics, and prosthodontic treatment approaches.
OTHERPractical Teaching
A model-assisted hands-on teaching session covering temporomandibular joint anatomy and function, temporomandibular disorders, and prosthodontic treatment approaches, including hands-on fabrication of anterior repositioning and stabilization splints.
Sponsors
Sakarya University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Participants were randomly allocated to two sequence groups. Group 1 received the theoretical teaching session followed by the practical teaching session, whereas Group 2 received the practical teaching session followed by the theoretical teaching session. All participants received both teaching interventions on the same day, with the order of the interventions differing between the two groups. Outcomes were assessed after completion of both teaching sessions.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Third-year undergraduate dental students who were native Turkish speakers, were enrolled in the third year of the dental curriculum for the first time, and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study by providing informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Students who did not meet the inclusion criteria or did not provide informed consent were excluded from the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Students' Perceived Effectiveness of the Teaching Methods | Immediately after completion of both teaching sessions | Students rated the effectiveness of the theoretical and practical teaching methods using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Ratings for the two teaching methods were compared to evaluate students' perceptions of their effectiveness. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed