Comparison of light microscopy and digital microscopy for learning oral pathology practicals among second year dental students

Background/purpose: Previous studies have shown that digital microscopy is an indispensable tool for teaching oral pathology laboratory course. Despite this, our institute relies solely on recommended/reference book images for oral pathology practicals, neglecting both light and digital microscopy methods. Gathering students' feedback on these methods is essential before considering digital microscopy as part of the oral pathology curriculum. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the usefulness of light and digital microscopy among second-year dental students.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted from December 6 to December 7, 2023, in the Department of Oral Pathology, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences. The study involved the selection of five cases from the oral pathology course, followed by feedback on students' diagnostic skills, learning impact and acceptance rate of light and digital microscopy using an online questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare students' responses and P-value < 0.05 was set as statistically significant.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference in diagnostic scores between light microscopy and digital microscopy (P < 0.05). Statistically significant differences favoring digital microscopy were observed in various aspects, including interpreting variations, diagnosis, time efficiency, and image clarity.

Conclusion: Although diagnostic scores were lower, digital microscopy was perceived as a useful method for enhancing diagnostic skills among dental students. Both light microscopy and digital microscopy are viable options for oral pathology practicals, however, digital microscopy was preferred by students due to its time efficiency and clear image quality.