Preliminary comparative analysis of faculty and self-assessment in evaluating root canal treatment quality performed by dental students in a preclinical setting: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction: Self and staff assessments represent a recent approach to evaluating preclinical performance, though not yet widely adopted. This preliminary study aimed to compare faculty assessments with student self-assessments of root canal treatment (RCT) quality and evaluate the influence of gender on assessment accuracy across rubric parameters. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated dental students ( N = 40; 20 males, 20 females) in their final practical examination for the preclinical endodontic course on a single-canal maxillary anterior tooth. Three blinded faculty assessors evaluated student performance by using a validated rubric across access cavity preparation and working length determination (5 points), cleaning and shaping (5 points), and obturation (5 points), for a total of 15 points. Statistics: Scores were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Friedman’s test compared scores among the three faculty and self-assessments, followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for pairwise comparisons. Spearman’s correlation coefficient assessed the relationship between faculty and student scores. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Male students reported significantly higher self-assessments (median = 9.13) than faculty assessments (median = 8.92), with P = 0.017. No significant difference was found in cleaning and shaping ( P = 0.858), but a notable discrepancy was observed in obturation ( P = 0.091). For female students, no significant difference was found between faculty assessments (median = 9.00) and self-assessments (median = 8.75), with a P = 0.171. Self-assessments exhibited a positive correlation, with ratings from the first faculty ( r = 0.454), the third faculty (r = 0.346), and the average ratings ( r = 0.360). Faculty ratings demonstrated strong internal consistency, with all inter-faculty correlations exceeding r = 0.640. Conclusion: The findings suggest that self-assessment accuracy in RCT skills is influenced by gender, with male students more likely to overestimate their abilities.