ArticleEuropean journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe2025
Spatial Abilities and Endodontic Access Cavity Preparation: Implications for Dental Education.
Article in European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exploring the Application Capability of ChatGPT as an Instructor in Skills Education for Dental Medical Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Impedance-Guided Localisation of Pulp Chambers and Canal Orifices in Calcified Root Canal Systems: Biological Foundations and Conceptual Application.International endodontic journal · 2026Review
- Development and application of a standardized teaching assessment system for digital automated oral implantation planning skills: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAccess cavity preparation is a crucial step in root canal treatment but is one of the most complex procedures in the curriculum to learn, with students often reporting spatial orientation difficulties during drilling. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of spatial abilities on the preparation of endodontic access cavities among third-year dental students. MATERIALS AND
methodsStudents from Lyon dental faculty participated voluntarily. The mental rotation test (MRT) evaluated spatial ability. Students prepared access cavities on 3D-printed mandibular molars, subsequently scanned and assessed against eight evaluation points, including morphology, canal access, floor preservation and convergence angle. Principal component analysis (PCA) assessed dataset variations.
resultsA total of 43 volunteers participated. PCA revealed two principal components accounting for 80.8% of variations: the first PC primarily consisted of MRT score (64.3%) and morphology (14.1%); the second comprised operative time (46.1%) and morphology (18.0%). There were significant differences in morphology based on MRT scores, but no correlation was found between other parameters. DISCUSSION: Lower MRT scores were associated with larger cavity preparations, raising questions about potential curriculum adaptations to enhance spatial reasoning. The operative time was not correlated with higher MRT scores but did contribute to variations in cavity morphology.
conclusionSpatial abilities have a substantial impact on the quality of endodontic access cavity preparations; further studies should evaluate if the incorporation of 3D atlas exercises could be beneficial.
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