Perception of Dental Students about Tooth Carving in Dental Education at a Tertiary Level Health Care Facility

Tooth carving on wax/plaster/plastic to reproduce reference models of teeth is used to teach dental studentsanatomy of the tooth. There is a ongoing debate on value of tooth carving exercise in undergraduate dentalcurriculum. Perception of students on utility of tooth carving is important in planning dental curriculum.Objective: The present study seeks to analyze the perception of undergraduate dental students about toothcarving, its relevance and utility in future clinical practice. The various aids preferred by them to learn dentalcarving.Method: Student’s perception was assessed using a self administered questionnaire.Results: Total 58 students participated in the study (36 girls and 22 boys). Both male and female studentsperceived that video demonstration of tooth carving, a improved carver design and having a collection of 32natural teeth in the department and attending workshops will help in more accurate and better understandingof tooth carving. More male students perceived that dental carving will be helpful in their clinical practicecompared to females. Majority of students believed that the course content on carving was adequate. 90% of3rd year students perceived that attending workshops would improve their knowledge on carving comparedto 66% 2nd year students and the difference was found to be statistically significant. A higher proportionof 2nd year students compared to 3rd year students perceived that improved carver design would help themcarve more accurately. More 3rd year students felt that the course content on carving was adequate. Majorityof students perceived that multimedia presentations were the most effective educational aid for teachingtooth carving. Majority of students perceived that having handouts of presentations and POP models will bebeneficial to them in learning tooth carving.Conclusion: There is a need to revise the curriculum emphasizing on the utility of tooth carving in clinicalpractice. Also there is a need to adopt new innovative method at teaching dental carving, improving oncarver design and enriching the course content with emphasis on competency and skills since many studentseven after having exposure to carving felt the need for further workshops.