Abstract:

Introduction:
The aim of our study is to establish a correlation between some of our students’ previous experience in Odontology related tasks which require a certain psychomotor skills, such as prosthetic technicians and hygienists; and their ability to carve figures using high and low speed rotatory instruments.
Our hypothesis is that our students practical evaluation marks have a relation with their performance the figure-carving test as in this study design.
We also intend to analyze if there are significant differences in the marks and performance of the group 0f 15 previously trained in Odontology related tasks students and the group of non- trained ones.

Material and method:
We have designed a preclinical study based on the one previously designed by Díaz Torres et al, 2003 to analyze data obtained from 79 of our first-year Odontology Degree students in order to evaluate their skills at specific Odontology-related tasks.
This test employs a numeric scale (from one to five) to mark the quality of the carving of the different parts of the figure: depth, wall, floor and edges. The figure that is to be evaluated is similar to a class I of Black cavity.
In our study a total of twenty geometric shapes have been evaluated and marked following the previously mentioned system.

Results:
Student’s T Test was used to analyze variables//items like theoretical mark, V1 (medium grade obtained after evaluation of the figures from 1-10 using low speed) and V2 (medium grade obtained after evaluation of the figures 1-10 using high speed rotatory instruments)
As a result of the statistical analysis of the elaborated database, higher medium grades were achieved in the group of students with previous experience in Odontology-related tasks, being the difference statistically significant for V1(p< 0.001) and V2 (p= 0.02).
No significant differences were found regarding theoretical evaluation marks between the group with previous experience and the unexperienced group, (p = 0,503).
Results of Mann Whitney’s U Test for independent samples indicate that practical exam grades and the age of students are related with the experienced group of students, although no relation could be established between their university access grades and the number of figures carved.
Stadistical test indicate that experience is related with evaluation of V1 and V2, as well as age and practice marks.

Conclusions:
In the present study mean of the evaluation of figures carved with low speed V1 (p< 0.01) and high speed V2 (p< 0.05) and the practical exam evaluation of first year students are related in a preclinical subject of introduction to conservative preclinical skills.

Keywords:

Psychomotor skills, carving test, rotatory instrument, previous experienc, odontology related task, practice marks, theoretical evaluation.