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Critical Appraisal‐Based Learning in a Dental College in India: A Randomized Control Study
Author(s) -
Veeraiyan Deepak Nallaswamy,
Sekhar Prathap
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2013.77.8.tb05577.x
Subject(s) - premolar , incisor , molar , dentistry , critical appraisal , medicine , randomized controlled trial , dental education , confidence interval , orthodontics , alternative medicine , pathology
This study examined the effect of critical appraisal exercises on the quality of preclinical tooth preparation skills and the confidence level of undergraduate dental students at a dental college in India. Forty‐two student volunteers were randomly divided into critical appraisal (CA; n=19) and control (C; n=23) groups. Both groups were given conventional lecture and video demonstration; the CA group was also given critical appraisal exercises. Four evaluators assessed the incisor, canine, premolar, and molar preparations made by all students. The mean overall scores (reported as mean±SD) assigned to the CA group by all evaluators were significantly higher (independent t‐test, p<0.05) than the C group for incisor (CA: 6.19±1.47, C: 5.09±1.52), canine (CA: 5.64±1.36, C: 4.50±1.35), premolar (CA: 5.88±1.03, C: 4.88±1.18), and molar (CA: 5.98±1.16, C: 5.20±0.71) teeth. The CA group also demonstrated a significant increase in self‐confidence over that of the C group (repeated measures general linear model F=8.554, p=0.006). In this study, the critical appraisal exercises significantly improved the preclinical incisor, canine, premolar, and molar tooth preparation skills and the confidence level of the undergraduate dental students.