The Effectiveness of a 3D Virtual Tooth Identification Test as an Assessment Tool for a Dental Anatomy Course.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction of a 3D tooth identification test for a dental anatomy course that can be given remotely. METHODS First-year dental students (n=41) enrolled in a dental anatomy course took both traditional in-person practical and virtual 3D tooth identification tests consisting of 25 test items. The test scores, average test durations, faculty time commitment and user perception were collected and analyzed. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients (p<0.05) were determined for the criterion measures including real tooth identification test scores, comprehensive written examination and overall grade for the course. RESULTS The average number of correct answers for the real and 3D virtual tooth identification examination was 21.3 ± 2.65 and 20.7 ± 2.56, respectively. The average test duration for the real and 3D virtual tooth identification test was 25:00 and 21:16 minutes, respectively. There was a positive correlation (p<0.05) of the 3D virtual tooth identification test with the real tooth identification test (0.368), comprehensive written examination (0.334) and the overall course grade (0.646). The total faculty time commitment for the real and 3D virtual tooth identification test was 96 and 65 minutes, respectively. The students cited difficulty in manipulating the 3D models. CONCLUSION This study presents evidence that the 3D virtual tooth identification test can be used to assess dental students understanding of dental anatomy effectively and efficiently.