Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40830951›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

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

Yasmine Smail, Frenette Codjia, Jean-Pierre Attal, Hechenberger Alexander, Philippe François, Anne-Laure Ejeil

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A porcineTranslational andrology and urology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yasmine SmailDepartment of Dental Materials, Dental School, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Frenette CodjiaDepartment of Dental Materials, Dental School, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Jean-Pierre AttalDepartment of Dental Materials, Dental School, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Hechenberger AlexanderADDION GmbHH, Vienna, Austria.
Philippe FrançoisDepartment of Dental Materials, Dental School, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Anne-Laure EjeilDental School, Université Paris Cité, URM1333 Oral Health Inserm, Montrouge, France. anne-laure.ejeil@u-paris.fr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 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.

methodsA 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.

resultsParticipants 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.

conclusionsThe 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.

Indexed as

Education, DentalPrinting, Three-DimensionalSimulation TrainingSuture TechniquesAnimalsClinical CompetenceFemaleHumansModels, Anatomic3D printingEducationIncisionsOral surgerySimulationSutures

Identifiers

PMID40830951
PMCPMC12363018

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.