Can an interactive case‐based activity help bridge the theory‐practice gap in operative dentistry?

Introduction: A theory‐practice gap in pre‐doctoral dental education is a common source of stress for dental students. An interactive, small‐group, case‐based activity was designed to bridge the gap between pre‐clinical and clinical experiences. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of the case‐based activity by evaluating students' comfort level in operative procedures. Materials and Methods: Over 5 years, a total of 172 second‐year students from the classes of 2017 through 2021 participated in the case‐based activity delivered after the completion of the core operative dentistry course. The exercise included a pre‐activity online quiz, an in‐class case‐based session and a laboratory exercise. Students' self‐reported comfort levels in performing operative procedures were collected by surveys at three different times. They included the post‐course survey distributed after the completion of the core operative dentistry course, the post‐activity survey distributed after the completion of the case‐based activity, and the follow‐up survey distributed after students completed their first operative procedures in clinic. Results: There was a 93% response rate. The average rating of all eight statements revealed statistically significant increase in students' comfort level after completing the case‐based activity and after performing their first operative procedures in the teaching practice. Conclusion: This observation suggests that the case‐based activity was effective in raising students' comfort levels. The activity may serve as an important tool in bridging the theory‐practice gap between pre‐clinical and clinical operative experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]