Agreement Between Faculty and %Comparison for Preparation Depth Assessment in a Dental Technique Skills Course

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess agreement between faculty and virtual assessment software in depth evaluation of rounded rectangular preparations in non-anatomical teeth prepared by second-year dental students. A total of 184 non-anatomical ivorine mandibular first molars prepared by second-year students were retrospectively evaluated in 2018. Each tooth was prepared to a depth of 1.5 mm within a laser-marked outline using a 330 bur, as detailed in the technique skills course syllabus. Preparations were recorded using an intraoral scanner. Then, virtual assessment software was used to superimpose a three-dimensional (3D) image of each preparation on a 3D image of a standard preparation produced by a faculty member. The software was used to calculate percentage comparison (%Comparison) values at 200 μm tolerance. Values of %Comparison ≥72% were considered satisfactory. In addition, each preparation depth was evaluated by two calibrated faculty members using a periodontal probe and a 330 bur. The preparation depth was considered satisfactory when more than 50% of the tooth preparation had a depth of 1.5 mm. The results showed almost perfect agreement (0.81