Evaluation of dental students' awareness about intraoral scanners.

BACKGROUND: There are a few studies evaluating dental students' knowledge and awareness of intraoral scanners. This study aims to evaluate and compare the knowledge and awareness of levels 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade dental students regarding intraoral scanners and their use in orthodontics. METHODS: A survey adapted from similar studies was administered to a total of 278 volunteer undergraduate students [comprising 3rd (n = 94), 4th (n = 88), and 5th-grade (n = 96)] to assess their awareness of intraoral scanners. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to analyze the variables within the scope of the study. The Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test was employed to compare responses across different academic years. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the participants, 33.81% were 3rd-grade, 31.65% were 4th-grade, and 34.53% were 5th-grade dental students. There was no significant difference in the distribution of participants across academic grades (p > 0.05). Among the students, 96.81% of the 3rd-grade, 89.77% of the 4th-grade, and 83.33% of the 5th-grade students reported that they had never used an intraoral scanner (p < 0,05). A higher proportion of 3rd-grade students (71.28%) believed that IOSs were used in the treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusions and the fabrication of maxillary expansion appliances, compared to the other grade groups. In contrast, 5th-grade students more frequently associated IOS usage with indirect bonding procedures (63.54%) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Students in the 4th and 5th grades demonstrated a greater level of knowledge compared to 3rd-grade students. It is recommended that practical training opportunities be expanded and the dental curriculum be revised accordingly to support hands-on experience with intraoral scanners.