Effectiveness of a 3D Printed Training Kit for the Preparation of Access Cavities in Calcified Teeth: A Pilot Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3D printed training kit for the preparation of
endodontic access cavities in calcified teeth.
Methods: The root canal system of a micro-CT scanned premolar was digitally processed to create an end-
odontic training kit containing 10 teeth with ten different progressive degrees of pulp canal calcification. A
tooth variant with a medium calcification degree (5/10) was printed in three copies using opaque resin. Addi-
tionally, a set of 10 transparent training teeth with red-colored pulp was produced using PolyJet 3D printing
technology, which was used to train the access cavity preparation in a controlled manner due to the trans-
parency of the teeth. Undergraduate students (n=27) and dentists (n=10) each prepared a total of 13 (one
pre-training, two post-training) access cavities. Substance loss was quantified by CBCT, and user satisfaction
was evaluated by questionnaire. Paired t-tests were used to compare the means for substance loss and proce-
dure time for pre- and post-training conditions. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare differences between
students and dentists. The level of significance was set at α=0.05.
Results: Mean substance loss before and after training decreased for both students (71.4 versus 54.68 mm3;
p=0.069) and dentists (67.3 versus 51.1 mm3; p=0.633), but the difference was not statistically significant. The
average preparation time decreased with training for students (420 versus 275 seconds; p=0.100) and dentists
(336 versus 158 seconds; p=0.054), but not significantly. Root perforation rates also decreased (students: 6/27
versus 4/27; dentists: 1/10 versus 0/10). Participants rated the training model as very realistic and useful, de-
spite the difference in material texture.
Conclusion: The proposed 3D printed training kit appears to be a suitable tool for undergraduate dental
students, which could expand their opportunities to practice the preparation of endodontic access cavities
in calcified teeth. (EEJ-2024-06-091)