Renovation of the Preclinical Endodontics Course during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Mashhad Dental School

Introduction: The most effective strategy to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 is social distancing. Close contact between professor and student is inevitable in traditional methods of dental education. Therefore, newer methods should be used to avoid unnecessary contacts while continuing the training. The present study aimed to evaluate the educational method using online classes and videos on preclinical endodontics from the perspective of professors and undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: The Practical Principles of Endodontics course was taught to 67 undergraduate students on two levels P1 and P2 (31 students in P1 and 36 students in P2). In each session, students watched a professionally produced demo video with a verbal explanation. The main points were stated by the instructor during and after watching the videos. Then the students' questions were answered before the practice. The students of P2 had passed their P1 course in the traditional method in the previous semester; therefore, comparing traditional and new teaching methods was possible. Results: A total of 67 students and 12 professors completed the questionnaire. The degree of agreement in three groups (students of P1, students of P2, and professors) was statistically different in 6 of 7 similar questions (P<0.05). In general, students of P2 and professors gave higher scores to these questions. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, the achievements of this educational method included students' satisfaction with the proper observance of infection control protocols during the pandemic and the effectiveness of this teaching method. According to the professors, this method positively affects the performance of the students and reduces their iatrogenic errors.