Web‐based educational programme for temporomandibular joint assessment with cone‐beam computed tomography.

Objectives: To develop and evaluate an educational web‐based programme for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) assessment using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: A web‐based educational programme was designed for TMJ assessment using CBCT images. Fifteen CBCT cases of the TMJ (three‐dimensional reconstructed volumes) and an assessment module based on image analysis criteria in the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) were added to the programme. Thirty‐six undergraduate dental students were invited to test the programme by assessing all cases twice: before and after 2 months of training. Participants submitted written subjective evaluations of the programme. Results: The web‐based programme can be accessed on Malmö University webpage (www.cbct‐tmj.mau.se). Despite limited CBCT learning in their undergraduate training and not using the programme in the 2‐month interval, the students were able to correctly diagnose 80% of the cases at the second assessment. Their diagnoses, however, did not differ significantly from the first assessment. Overall, the students were satisfied with the programme and considered it user‐friendly. Conclusion: The web‐based educational programme that was developed in the present study and tested by dental students could be a useful educational tool for TMJ assessment using CBCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]