Assessment of level of knowledge understood and memorized of panoramic anatomical landmarks among dental students in Benghazi, Libya

Abstract

Background: Evaluation of skill competency and quality requirements of dental students plays an essential role in dental education. Aim: To investigate the level of knowledge of cranio-dentofacial anatomic structures observed on panoramic radiographs by 4th-year dental students and graduates in internship year at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi. Materials and Methods: A total of 73 4th-year dental students and 92 interns attending the 2018/2019 academic year participated in this study to identify 24 landmarks on a traced panoramic radiograph. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analyses were performed (P < 5%). Results: The overall correct answer rate for 24 anatomical landmarks was 26.2% (±0.23) among the 4th-year students and 29.68% (±0.24) among interns. Significant differences were observed only between hard tissues and soft tissues/air layer. For both groups, Head of the condyle was the most identified (79.5% for the 4th-year and 71.7% for interns), while the middle nasal concha was the least recognized structure (100% incorrect answer). Conclusions: Both 4th-year students and interns had a similar level of knowledge in identifying anatomical structures shown on panoramic radiography. The teaching program should focus on familiarizing dental students with the unidentified anatomical structures on panoramic radiographs.