DESEMPEÑO DE ESTUDIANTES DE ODONTOLOGÍA CON DIFERENTE NIVEL DE CAPACITACIÓN EN EL USO DEL ESCANEO INTRAORAL

Abstract

This pilot study evaluated dental students' expectations, perceptions, and performance before and after training on the use of intraoral scanners. The training included both theoretical and practical sessions covering the scanner's operation, its associated software, and techniques for image capture and analysis. Pre-course assessments showed low expectations in familiarity, comfort, and confidence with the technology, as well as limited perceptions of its accuracy and software competency. After the training, a post-training questionnaire revealed significant improvements in all evaluated areas: familiarity increased from 1.90 to 5.35, comfort rose from 4.25 to 7.50, confidence in using the scanner improved from 3.30 to 7.00, perception of accuracy went up from 3.80 to 7.10, and competence in the software grew from 3.85 to 7.40. Statistical tests confirmed that all p-values were less than 0.001, indicating highly significant differences between pre- and post-training measures (p < 0.05). This led to the rejection of the null hypothesis and acceptance that there are significant differences in students' expectations, perceptions, and performance. In summary, the training proved effective in transforming students' expectations and perceptions while significantly improving their performance with the intraoral scanner. These results suggest that proper training can enhance technical competence and confidence in the technology, thereby benefiting clinical practice in dentistry.