IMPACT OF TARGETED TRAINING ON INTRAORAL RADIOGRAPHIC QUALITY: A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DENTAL STUDENTS AND ASSISTANTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33279/jkcd.v15i04.965Keywords:
Dental Radiography, Clinical Competence, Quality Improvement, Bitewing, Periapical, Prospective study.Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of training intervention on the intraoral radiographic quality acquired by dental students and qualified assistants.
Materials and Methods: This prospective, interventional study was carried out to evaluate the Impact of Targeted Training on Intraoral Radiographic Quality (Bitewing and Periapicals). A cohort of 25 dental students and 25 dental assistants was recruited. Each participant took 50 periapical (PA) and 50 bitewing (BW) radiographs during baseline session. All images were evaluated for diagnostic quality by two calibrated dentists using FGDP, UK guidelines. Following baseline assessment, a structured training and feedback session was provided to participants. One month post-training, a second session was conducted where participants took another set of 50 PA and 50 BW radiographs for evaluation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.
Results: At baseline, the proportion of acceptable radiographs was low for both groups, with students demonstrating significantly lower PA acceptance rates than assistants (38% vs. 78%, p=0.001). Following training, students showed a significant improvement in PA radiographs (72% vs. 38%, p<0.001). Bitewing improvements for both groups and PA improvements for assistants were modest and not statistically significant.
Conclusion: Targeted training and feedback significantly improved the quality of periapical radiographs produced by dental students, closing the initial performance gap with experienced assistants. This study underscores the value of structured education in achieving quality radiographic results.
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