Evaluating Evidence-Based Dental Suture Training Methods For Students

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of experimental teaching in developing oral suturing skills among dental students. From January 2024 to January 2025, 31 dental students from the 2020 cohort were assigned to the control group, while 33 students from the 2021 cohort formed the experimental group. The experimental group practiced suturing techniques—including interrupted sutures, figure-eight sutures, and microsurgical suturing—using a banana peel model. Suture performance was assessed at three stages: before the classroom lecture (baseline level), after the lecture (Training 1), and after eight weeks of independent practice (Training 2). In addition to analyzing individual progress, the suturing skills of the experimental group were compared with those of the control group, which followed traditional teaching methods. In the experimental group, suture scores improved significantly from (25.88 ± 1.39) at baseline to (43.05 ± 1.34) at Training 1 and further improved to (68.53 ± 1.40) after Training 2 (P < 0.05). In addition, the experimental group performed better than the control group in the final assessment (59.14 ± 1.47), and the difference in suture scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The integration of the banana peel suture model in experimental teaching has proven effective in enhancing dental students’ suturing skills. This approach yields promising results and can be a valuable addition to dental training programs.