Improvement of learner’s preclinical skill in occlusal rest seat preparation using digital and conventional training

Digital learning tools play a crucial role in fostering innovation and shaping the experiences of student in dental education. This study aimed to compare the improvement, if any, in students’ preclinical performance in occlusal rest seat preparation across three repeated practical sessions using digital and conventional training methods. A total of 80 fourth-year dental students participated in the study. Following the initial didactic course, students were randomly assigned to either a Conventional group (CG; n = 40) or a Digital group (DG; n = 40). Each student performed occlusal rest seat preparation on the left mandibular second premolar across three repeated sessions. During these sessions, the CG received traditional instructor feedback, whereas the DG received digital feedback via the pedagogical Dental Teacher system and Exocad software. All preparations were digitized and evaluated by a dental digital expert. Each occlusal rest seat was assessed using six component scores corresponding to six weighted criteria, along with an overall score (ranging from 0 to 4 points). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. The overall scores for occlusal rest seats improved significantly across the three sessions in both the CG and DG (p < 0.001). In the CG, scores increased from 2.61 ± 0.46 to 2.77 ± 0.29 and 3.04 ± 0.37, while in the DG, scores rose from 2.69 ± 0.37 to 2.86 ± 0.31 and 3.18 ± 0.28. However, the improvement did not differ significantly between the two groups (p = 0.611). Among the six evaluation criteria, shape, width, length, and smoothness improved significantly over the sessions (p < 0.05), whereas depth and angle did not show significant changes (p > 0.05). No significant group–session interaction was observed for any criterion (p > 0.05). Both groups demonstrated significant improvement across repeated practice sessions, with no statistically significant group–session interaction. These findings suggest that both digital and conventional training delivered over multiple sessions may support the development of preclinical skills in occlusal rest seat preparation.