Manual dexterity and self-perceived skill as predictors of performance in dental skills assessments: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: As clinical dental procedures demand a high level of precision and motor control manual dexterity is considered a fundamental component in dentistry. In addition to manual dexterity, a dental student's perception of their level of skill may also influence their learning outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between manual dexterity, self-perceived skill levels and performance at skills-based assessments of dental undergraduates. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 114 dental undergraduates in their 3rd year in 2023/2024 at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Each participant completed a self-administered, structured, Likert-type questionnaire which assessed their self-perceived skill level in seven dental procedures. They also completed two manual dexterity tests: the Purdue Pegboard Test and the O'Connor Tweezer Test under direct vision and indirect vision (with use of mirror). Statistical analysis was carried out to assess the correlations between parameters. RESULTS: Among the study participants, 71.93% (82 students) were females and 85.96% (98 students) were right-handed. A weak positive correlation was observed between Purdue Pegboard Test dominant hand under direct vision and class II cavity preparation (r = 0.24, 95% CI [0.06, 0.40], p = 0.010). Similarly, the O'Connor Tweezer Test under indirect vision showed a weak negative correlation with performance (r = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.44, -0.10], p = 0.004), indicating that lower completion times (better dexterity) were associated with higher assessment scores. However, none of these associations remained statistically significant after Bonferroni correction (adjusted α = 0.0017). No statistically significant correlation was found between self-perceived skill levels and skill-based assessment scores. Multiple regression analysis identified some manual dexterity sub-tests to be predictors of and II cavity preparation on mannequin and teeth setting on a simple hinge articulator (adjusted R² of 0.046 and 0.177) with moderate association. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, performance at skill-based assessments of dental undergraduates showed limited association with manual dexterity, with findings indicating weak relationships rather than strong predictors, while no association was observed between self-perceived skill levels and performance at skill-based assessments. Further studies with different student samples are needed to confirm these findings.