Assessment of Clinical Competency of Dental Students in Recognizing Landmarks and Radiological Lesions of Jaw and Face

The ability to detect and recognize abnormal patterns in diagnostic images requires sufficient knowledge in studying radiographic images. By teaching oral radiology, dentists must know basic skills for interpreting images inside or outside the mouth. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical competence of dental students in recognizing landmarks and radiological lesions of the jaw and face.

In this cross-sectional study conducted during the academic year 2021, the authors included general dentistry students in their 5th and 6th years of study at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences dental school. Initially, an objective structured clinical exam with 18 stations was designed to assess six different radiology students’ competencies with the help of the radiology department’s faculty members. Due to Covid-19 disease, 19 tests were held in absentia through the university’s Faradid system. After this test, the results were analyzed using SPSS software version 26.

The mean skill levels of dental students at Yasouj University of Medical Sciences in the diagnosis of different categories were as follows: Diagnosis of Dental Anomalies: 0.19±0.70, Diagnosis of Bone Anomalies: 0.34±0.44, Diagnosis of Anatomical Landmarks: 0.29±0.75, Diagnosis of Radiographic Techniques: 0.13±0.92, Diagnosis of Radiopaque Lesions: 0.5±0.31, Diagnosis of Radiolucent Lesions: 0.26±0.45.

The lowest level of students’ skills belonged to the diagnosis of bone anomalies and radiolucent diagnosis. It is suggested that radiology professors take some effective measures to improve education regarding bone anomalies and radiolucent diagnosis.