Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41555364›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2026

A comparative analysis on the perceptions of Chinese dentists and dental students towards the practical course of stabilization occlusal splint fabrication.

Guo Shaoxiong, He Chan, Zhang Mian, Zhang Jing, Lu Lei, Zhang Hongyun, Yang Hongxu, Yu Shibin

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Guo Shaoxiong *State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
He Chan *Department of language, The People's Liberation Army Border and Coastal Defense Academy, Xi'an, 710000, China.
Zhang MianState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
Zhang JingState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
Lu LeiState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
Zhang HongyunState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
Yang HongxuState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
Yu ShibinState Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology，School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710032, China. yushibin@fmmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province, China Grant No. 2024SF-YBXM-260New Technology and Service of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, China Grant No. LX2025-503the higher education research project of Shaanxi Higher Education Society, Shaanxi Province, China Grant No. XGH21242
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo investigate the mastery degree, study challenges, and teaching needs of dental professionals at different levels in practical courses on the fabrication of stabilization occlusal splints, aiming to continuously improve teaching quality.

methodsA total of 64 undergraduate dental students and 41 clinical dentists were enrolled as participants. In the stabilization splint fabrication course, theoretical​ teaching and practical training were conducted by the same faculty team. After all the participants fabricated qualified occlusal splints, post-course questionnaires were administered to analyze mastery degree in theory and practical training, course challenges and difficulty ratings, self-rated splint comfort, prioritization of critical procedures, and preferred instructional modalities.

resultsThe clinician group demonstrated higher scores than the student group in mastery degree in theory (P = 0.001) and practical training (P < 0.001). Although both groups ranked the challenges similarly, the student group reported more difficulty in foundational steps such as “resin laying, framework fabrication, and occlusal surface shaping” compared to the dentist group (P = 0.012).The clinician group rated the comfort level of the splints as the “comfortable” significantly more than the student group (P < 0.001).Regarding critical procedures, the clinician group emphasized foundational occlusal knowledge, while the student group prioritized meticulous adjustment (P = 0.001).

conclusionFuture practical courses should adopt a tiered training framework to meet the distinct needs of students and clinicians, thereby enhancing educational efficiency and outcomes.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelDentistsEducation, DentalOcclusal SplintsStudents, DentalChinaClinical CompetenceEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesLearning proficiencyOcclusionStabilization occlusal splint fabricationTeaching needsTiered training framework

Identifiers

PMID41555364
PMCPMC12895990

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.