Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of traditional teaching methods in developing students’ practical skills in the Laboratory Practice in Indirect Restorations (LPIR) course at the School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (FAO-UFMG). A qualitative before-and-after study was conducted with 25 fifth-semester undergraduate dental students to assess the quality of cavity preparations for indirect esthetic onlay restorations performed on mannequin teeth. Preparations were evaluated twice during the academic semester. The first evaluation occurred after a professor-led demonstration, and the second followed a supervised practical repetition period. A digital assessment tool was used to compare preparation characteristics and monitor student progress. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in preparation errors over time, indicating that the traditional teaching methods applied effectively enhanced the students’ clinical performance. Furthermore, the digital tool was found to be a useful supplement to instructor evaluations, identifying frequent errors and enabling more precise, personalized feedback. These findings indicate that integrating digital assessment tools and traditional teaching strategies is a promising approach for improving dental education and student learning outcomes.

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