Preclinical training plays an irreplaceable and important role in dental education, especially in the field of pediatric dentistry, where training is particularly critical due to the complexity of communicating and cooperating with young patients.
It not only provides students with a risk-free practice environment, but also helps them build confidence before entering clinical practice.
Operations such as local anesthesia and vital pulp therapy require extremely high operating skills, and simulation training is considered the best way to learn these techniques.
With the rapid development of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, dental education has ushered in new breakthroughs. This study aims to develop and evaluate two 3D printed teaching models designed for pediatric dentistry.
Using cone beam CT data from patients, the research team constructed models that highly restored the anatomical structure of primary molars, including the pulp cavity and surrounding hard tissues.
A total of 66 dental students from different grades (including third-year, fifth-year and postgraduate students) participated in the practical training courses based on these models.
Students provided feedback on the educational value, authenticity and practicality of the models through structured questionnaires.
Results showed that 68.2% of students “strongly agreed” that the local anesthesia model improved their understanding of anatomy and injection sites, while 28.8% “agreed.”
Regarding visualization’s helpfulness in understanding the neural spread of anesthesia, 81.8% of students “strongly agreed,” with the remaining 18.2% “agreed.”
For vital pulp therapy training, 71.8% of students “strongly agreed” that the 3D-printed tooth models provided a realistic operating experience, while 27.3% “agreed.”
Furthermore, 83.3% of students expressed a desire to continue using these models for more complex treatments in the future, and all third-year students (100%) found practicing with models before working on real patients extremely valuable.
Compared to traditional phantom teeth and tooth extraction procedures, students rated the 3D-printed models as superior in terms of educational appeal and accessibility, although tooth extractions still slightly outperformed in terms of tactile realism.
Overall, this study demonstrates that 3D-printed models significantly bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application in preclinical pediatric dentistry.
The systematic integration of this technology into the dental curriculum is expected to significantly improve educational efficiency and clinical preparation quality, and promote the development of children’s dental education to a higher level.