Web-based orthodontic instruction and assessment.

Full Abstract

Orthodontic records-study models, panoramic and cephalometric radiographs, and the patient's facial and intraoral photographs-are used to collect data to establish a diagnosis and to develop problem-solution lists. These records, however, can be damaged or lost when dispensed to students and need to be stored and maintained every year. An orthodontic diagnosis web site, therefore, has been set up using digital records to provide students with an accessible source of complete, good-quality study materials. The web site is also used for clinical examination in orthodontic courses. The effectiveness of the web-based digital records in providing relevant information to students in comparison to the traditional records was evaluated by a randomized controlled trial involving ninety-nine second-year dental students. One group (fifty students) studied two cases from the web site; the other group (forty-nine students) studied the same two cases from traditional orthodontic records. Effectiveness was assessed by comparing test scores and the time spent on the tests by t-statistics. There were no significant differences between means for the two study groups in test performance or time. Attitudes of students toward the web site, assessed from post-test questionnaires, were positive. It was concluded that web-based digital orthodontic records were as effective in teaching clinical orthodontic diagnosis as were conventional records.

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Author information

Author/s: Komolpis, Ruangrat (R); Johnson, Richard A (RA);

Affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-1078, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Comparative Study; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of dental education (J Dent Educ), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-May; vol 66 (issue 5) : pp 650-8

Dates: Created 2002/06/11; Completed 2002/07/19; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 12056770, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attitude
Cephalometry
Computer-Assisted Instruction
Databases as Topic
Dental Models
Dental Records
Educational Measurement - methods
Humans

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