Effectiveness of custom-designed pointed laser light for teaching intraoral radiographic technique to undergraduate students: A comparative study.

Objectives: Intraoral periapical radiographic techniques are mandatory exercises taught to undergraduate students during their training. The key challenges encountered while teaching the bisecting angle technique (BAT) include correctly positioning the X-ray cone and adjusting the central X-ray beam to the tooth of interest. To address this, a custom-designed pointed laser light (CDPLL) was fabricated and attached to the X-ray cone. This study evaluated the effectiveness of CDPLL compared to conventional BAT in acquiring quality radiographs, reducing errors, and evaluating students' perceptions through a questionnaire.

Methods: Third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students were divided into two groups of 26 each. Group 1 used Conventional BAT, while Group 2 employed Laser-Assisted BAT on a mannequin. Both techniques were taught through theory and clinical demonstrations. Students took radiographs of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars of both jaws. Group 1 students then transitioned to Laser-Assisted BAT and repeated the radiographs. Inter-group and intra-group comparisons of radiographic quality and errors were analyzed using Chi-Square tests.

Results: Group 2 produced more excellent (41.8%) and acceptable (47.6%) radiographs, with fewer unacceptable ones (10.6%) than Group 1 (p < 0.001). Transitioning from conventional BAT to Laser-Assisted BAT in Group 1 led to significantly higher excellent (41.8%) and lower unacceptable (7.2%) radiographs (p < 0.001). Errors were significantly higher in Group 1 (81.5%) compared to Group 2 (59.5%) (p < 0.001). Common errors included cone cut and overlapping while foreshortening was the least frequent error. Over 80% of students felt CDPLL effectively guided the central X-ray beam and expressed interest in using it in the future.

Conclusions: The CDPLL affixed to the X-ray cone serves as an effective teaching tool for taking high-quality radiographs, yielding a higher number of excellent and acceptable radiographs while minimizing repetition and errors. It also aids students in adjusting the X-ray cone and central beam to the desired teeth.