ArticleJournal of dental education2026
Teaching Occlusal Splints in the Digital Age: Comparing Student Experiences With Conventional and CAD/CAM Workflows.
Article in Journal of dental education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Teaching Occlusal Splints in the Digital Age: Comparing Student Experiences With Conventional and CAD/CAM Workflows.Journal of dental education · 2026Article
- Endodontic Surgery for Separated Instrument Removal: Success Rates and Techniques in a Systematic Review.Dentistry journal · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe teaching of occlusal splint therapy in dental education is evolving with the integration of digital workflows. Although digital tools offer operational advantages, conventional methods remain pedagogically relevant. Understanding students' perceptions of both approaches is essential for guiding curriculum innovation.
aimTo evaluate undergraduate dental students' perceptions of conventional and digital workflows in occlusal splint fabrication and analyze the perceived educational benefits and limitations of each method.
methodsThis mixed-methods study included 24 undergraduate dental students who fabricated occlusal splints using both workflows. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Bland-Altman plots, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) to assess agreement on ease of fabrication, satisfaction with outcomes, and likelihood of recommendation. Qualitative responses underwent lexical analysis and were visualized using word clouds.
resultsThe digital workflow received higher scores for ease of fabrication (mean: 9.0 ± 0.9) versus the conventional method (mean: 4.0 ± 1.1), with a significant mean difference evident in the Bland-Altman plot. Satisfaction with results was comparable between workflows (digital: 9.0 ± 0.7; conventional: 8.6 ± 0.8; ICC = -0.416). Recommendation scores favored the digital workflow (digital: 9.6 ± 0.6; conventional: 6.0 ± 1.2; ICC = 0.62). Qualitative analysis associated digital workflows with "fast" and "efficient," and conventional techniques with "learning" and "understanding."
conclusionDigital workflows enhance efficiency and are well-received by students, while conventional methods support critical technical development. A blended instructional model is recommended to optimize clinical education in the digital era.
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Registered trials
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.