Students' opinions about their preparation for clinical fixed prosthodontics practice at a Dental School

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess teaching staff and their students' perceptions regarding the students' competency for clinical performance following the preclinical fixed prosthodontics course and their suggestion regarding alternative methods to improve the preclinical training. METHODS: Fourthand fifth-year dental students and their teaching staff participated in a survey about the difficulty that faced the student during transitional period from preclinical fixed prosthodontic training to clinical context at Taibah Dental School. A well-constructed Questionnaire, designed to evaluate the students' perceptions regarding the students' competency for clinical performance following the preclinical fixed prosthodontics course and their suggestion regarding alternative methods to improve the preclinical training. The response to the questionnaire was based on the five-point Likert scale. Medians, frequencies were used to assess their perception on preclinical training and suggestion. RESULTS: A total of 78 students from 90 respond .The survey response was 87%; and 100% for the staff members (9 participants). 46% of the students thought that the four-handed dentistry system is not improving their quality of work and 46% felt that the academic staff were cooperative in helping them.56% of the academic staff members believed that the duration of the preclinical training is sufficient. 78% thought that the theoretical part is closely related to the preclinical training sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The feeling of confidence to start clinical phase felt students and their teaching staff members should be kept and reinforced by improving the positives aspects of the results and to resolve the negativities assigned.