Surgical suture course for dental students with the Peyton-4-step approach versus the PDCA cycle using video assisted self-monitoring.

Background: In this prospective study the Peyton 4-step approach of demonstration-deconstruction-comprehension (verbalization by the learner), and performance by the learner was compared to the PDCA cycle/Deming-Circle (Plan-Do-Check (video assisted self-monitoring)-Act) as a teaching method for surgical suturing and nodes with end performance as the primary objective.

Methods: Students of the third clinical semester in dental medicine were randomly selected to one of the two teaching methods. They completed a first course during the third clinical semester and a subsequent course during the fourth clinical semester.