The level of confidence of dentists in identifying intact and sectioned teeth

Objective: This study aimed to assess the confidence levels of dentists in identifying intact and sectioned human teeth and to identify the factors contributing to variations in confidence levels.

Design: An anonymous Jisc e-survey showing 14 questions was sent to dentists worldwide. Apart from acquiring demographic details of the participants, ten three-dimensional (3D) tooth models were presented for tooth identification including the opinion on the level of confidence in identifying. They included seven permanent and three deciduous teeth in intact or sectioned state. The tooth models were created and manipulated using ZBrush software (Maxon Industries, Inc.) and uploaded to the Sketchfab model hosting platform. The accuracy of results was quantitatively analysed in five categories, namely: (I) tooth type, (II) region, (III) tooth classification, (IV) tooth within the same class, and (V) FDI World Dental Federation notation.

Results: Most participants received education in dental anatomy at the undergraduate level. No significant differences in accuracy were seen between intact and fractured tooth models. The highest accuracy was seen in Category I (Permanent or Deciduous, 0.74) and the lowest in Category V (FDI Notation, 0.26). The perceived confidence of each participant (total of 56) was seen to have the highest accuracy when the participant opined limited confidence, although with no significant differences for each category (P>0.05). Moreover, the most common error was found in the category II region, where participants could not correctly locate the tooth on the right or left side of the mouth in six 3D tooth models.

Conclusion: The assessment of intact and sectioned teeth has not presented differences in accuracy. High accuracy was seen when dentists categorised permanent and deciduous teeth. The highest accuracy in results was linked to the limited confidence of dentists but factors contributing to this level of confidence are not clear in this study. More attention should be paid to the dental features that distinguish location on the right or left side of the mouth.