Preclinical assessment methodology using a dental simulator during dental students’ first and third years

The aim of the present study was to analyze the parameters recorded by the Simodont dental trainer and methacrylate block grades during preclinical practicums to validate whether manual skills can be assessed by both methodologies, over a period of two years and to obtain a preclinical evaluation methodology for all the parameters that measure Simodont performance in each of the prepared figures. To this end, the methacrylate block practice’s criteria and evaluation scale were used as predictors. A total of 82 students who completed the first year of dentistry were followed for 2 years. Their performance on the same task (i.e., cavity preparation of three figures in the Simodont and methacrylate blocks) was then reevaluated in the third year. Manual skill improvement was detected in all the students. The parameters measured by the Simodont were used as predictors of the methacrylate block evaluation’s results, performed by a professor. Multiple linear regression models for each of the figures and years evaluated in the study were proposed. The present study demonstrates that both methodologies can detect manual skill improvement in dental students. Additionally, the Simodont practice can be reliably evaluated.