Research Article
Creation and Evaluation of an Endodontic Diagnosis
Training Software
Ebtissam M. Al-Madi ,
1
Layla Al-Bahrani,
2
Rafif Al-Shenaiber,
3
Samar A. Al-Saleh ,
4
and Mohammad I. Al-Obaida
1
1
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 68004, Riyadh 11527, Saudi Arabia
2
Dental Department, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3
Dental Department, Prince Sattam University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
4
Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 68004,
Riyadh 11527, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence should be addressed to Ebtissam M. Al-Madi; ealmadi@ksu.edu.sa
Received 26 October 2019; Revised 27 March 2020; Accepted 30 March 2020; Published 31 July 2020
Academic Editor: Chia-Tze Kao
Copyright © 2020 Ebtissam M. Al-Madi et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Objective. e purpose of the study is to evaluate a user-friendly, comprehensive, fully integrated web- and mobile-based
application that was specifically developed to guide learners and help them practice and train in pulpal and periapical diagnosis.
Methods. e software was designed for assistance in the diagnosis of the pulpal and the periapical area. e software contained
questions and tests, e.g., presence or absence of signs and symptoms, cold test, percussion, palpation, and radiographic ex-
amination that the user must answer to arrive at the final diagnosis. An electronic survey was prepared to evaluate the ef-
fectiveness, productivity, and accurateness of the software. e software and the electronic evaluation survey were sent by e-mail
to dental students, endodontist, general dentists, and dental interns who study or work in four Saudi dental colleges. Data was
analyzed using descriptive statistics. Result. A total of 203 questionnaires were completed. Results showed that 29% of the
participants were highly satisfied with the software; 40% gave a very good rating about the application satisfaction, while only 2%
reported a poor degree of satisfaction with the software. Results also showed that students accurately selected the correct diagnosis
but received relatively low diagnostic proficiency scores because they did not request diagnostic data in a pattern similar to experts.
Conclusion. In conclusion, the software is promising as an effective and efficient tool for teaching and assessing the diagnostic skills
of learners.
1.Introduction
e importance of advanced diagnostic skills in the practice
of endodontics has been underscored in the 2008 AAE-
sponsored symposium on endodontic diagnosis [1]. e
diagnostic process is not a pure science, and the necessary
examining equipment may not be the diagnostic tool or
instrument, but the diagnostician who will perform the test
and arrive at a reliable conclusion. Practitioners should be
equipped with the basic requirements and skills necessary to
perform this procedure, including knowledge, training,
interest, curiosity, patience, the art of listening, and above all
common sense.
Endodontic diagnosis is similar to a puzzle, in that di-
agnosis cannot be made from a single, isolated piece of
information [2]. e clinician must systematically gather all
of the necessary information to make a “probable” diagnosis.
When taking the medical and dental history, the clinician
should already be formulating in his or her mind a pre-
liminary, but logical, diagnosis especially if there is a chief
complaint. e clinical and radiographic examinations, in
combination with a thorough periodontal evaluation and
clinical testing (e.g., pulp and periapical tests), are then used
to confirm the preliminary diagnosis.
Diagnostic skills need practice, training, and experience
to develop. Educators and instructors have the responsibility
Hindawi
International Journal of Dentistry
Volume 2020, Article ID 8123248, 5 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8123248