Reliability of CAD CAM technology in assessing crown preparations in a preclinical dental school environment

Richard S. Callan, John S. Blalock, Jeril R. Cooper, John F. Coleman, Stephen W. Looney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

In order to use CAD CAM (Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology as an assessment tool when evaluating the preclinical performance of dental students, it is imperative that one has confidence in the reliability of the process. In this study, a variety of alignment methods were compared to determine both the consistency and accuracy of each method. Although the "Tooth Dots Diagonal" method exhibited the best precision (coefficient of variation=5.4 percent), it also represented the least accurate method when compared to the other methods tested. Using "Small Dots Diagonal" on the gingiva appears to be the best option, exhibiting an acceptable coefficient of variation (17.6 percent) and a high degree of accuracy in terms of tolerance (mean±standard deviation=0.163±0.029). Based on the results of this study, further investigation of CAD CAM technology for the purpose of assessment and education of dental students is recommended.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)40-50
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of dental education
Volume78
Issue number1
StatePublished - Jan 1 2014

Keywords

  • Accuracy and precision
  • Assessment
  • CAD CAM
  • Dental education
  • Dental students
  • E-learning
  • Preclinical education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • General Dentistry

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