Effectiveness of Digital Dentistry Education Using CAD/CAM Systems and Future Issues

<p> Purpose: We conducted a questionnaire survey of students who undertook CAD/CAM inlay restoration practice using an intraoral scanner as part of basic restorative training at the Showa University School of Dentistry for third and fourth year students, and examined the educational effects of this training and future issues.</p><p> Methods: Questionnaires were collected and evaluated for students who attended the practical training from 2019 to 2022. The questions were as follows.</p><p> 1. Are you interested in digital dentistry?</p><p> 2. Do you think this practice is effective for learning?</p><p> 3. Did you gain a better understanding of CAD/CAM inlay restoration using an intraoral scanner?</p><p> 4. How difficult was the content of this practice?</p><p> 5. Which step was the most interesting for you?</p><p> 6. Which step was the most difficult?</p><p> 7. How would you rate the use of the intraoral scanner for impression-taking compared with conventional impression-taking using impression materials?</p><p> 8. As a dentist, do you want to practice using a CAD/CAM system in the future?</p><p> 9. Do you want to continue taking practical practice using the CAD/CAM system in the future?</p><p> 10. Please freely write your opinions and impressions about this training.</p><p> Results: The results of the survey were as follows.</p><p> 1. About 60% of the students answered “very interested” or “interested.”</p><p> 2. The proportion of students who answered “very interested” and “somewhat interested” was approximately 90% in 2021 and 2022.</p><p> 3. Approximately 70% of the students answered “considerably deepened” or “deepened” in 2020, and more than 90% in the other years.</p><p> 4. Approximately 80% answered “very difficult” or “difficult” in 2021 and 2022.</p><p> 5. There was substantial variation from year to year.</p><p> 6. In all years, cavity preparation was considered to be the most difficult step.</p><p> 7. More than 50% of students answered “easy.”</p><p> 8. More than 80% of students answered “very much” or “quite a lot.”</p><p> 9. More than 80% of students answered “agree.”</p><p> Conclusion: A questionnaire survey on CAD/CAM inlay restoration practice using an intraoral scanner revealed that approximately 90% of students felt that this practice was effective for education in FY2022. However, various issues, such as the lack of digital equipment and the quality and number of instructors, were also identified. Additionally, the results suggested that students wanted to practice using the CAD/CAM system as dentists in the future, and wanted to learn more.</p>