Advancing dental education with technology: The integration of smartphone applications in endodontics-A narrative review.

IF 5.4 1区医学 Q1 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

International endodontic journal Pub Date : 2025-03-12 DOI:10.1111/iej.14219

Seyed AmirHossein Ourang, Fatemeh Sohrabniya, Soroush Sadr, William A Kahler, William Nguyen Ha

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Smartphone applications are increasingly used in medical and dental education, offering flexible and interactive learning opportunities. In medicine, these tools enhance knowledge retention, clinical decision-making, and patient care.

Objective: This review aims to evaluate the role of smartphone applications in endodontic education, assessing their quality, functionality, perceived impact, usability, and impact on learning outcomes.

Methods: A systematic search of the App Store, Google Play, PubMed, and Scopus was conducted to identify relevant applications. The quality assessment of the apps was performed through heuristic evaluation and the uMARS tool. The Inclusion criteria focused on apps designed for endodontic education and clinical practice.

Results: From 350 records, 9 applications met the criteria. The heuristic rating for all apps was low to medium, except for Endolit, which demonstrated severe usability issues. Dental Endo Master received the best mean score in the uMARS rating. The selected applications offer diverse functionalities, including educational tools (EndoPrep, Endo Lit, Dental Endo Master, Adat Endodontic Cram Cards, Tooth SOS, Injured Tooth, AcciDent), diagnostic aids (Endo10), and case difficulty assessments (AAE Endo Case). Most apps were available on Android and iOS, with ratings ranging from 4.2/5 to 5/5.

Discussion: This study highlights the growing role of smartphone applications in endodontics, particularly in education, clinical support, and patient guidance. While these apps offer interactive learning and diagnostic assistance, their quality varies due to differences in developer expertise, usability, and regulatory oversight. Some excel in engagement and functionality, while others require improvements in customization and accessibility. Ensuring evidence-based development, standardized evaluations, and user-centered design is essential for maximizing their impact on dental education and clinical practice.

Conclusion: Smartphone applications have transformative potential in endodontic education, enabling flexible learning and improved clinical skills. However, challenges such as inconsistent quality and limited validation require attention.

Registration: No formal registration was required for this narrative review.

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用技术推进牙科教育：智能手机应用在牙髓学中的整合——一篇叙述性综述。

背景：智能手机应用程序越来越多地用于医学和牙科教育，提供灵活和互动的学习机会。在医学领域，这些工具可增强知识保留、临床决策和患者护理。目的：本综述旨在评估智能手机应用在牙髓教育中的作用，评估它们的质量、功能、感知影响、可用性和对学习结果的影响。方法：系统检索App Store、谷歌Play、PubMed、Scopus，确定相关应用。通过启发式评估和uMARS工具对应用程序进行质量评估。纳入标准侧重于为牙髓教育和临床实践设计的应用程序。结果：在350份记录中，有9份符合标准。所有应用的启发式评级都是中低，除了Endolit，它显示出严重的可用性问题。牙科远藤大师在uMARS评级中获得了最好的平均分数。选定的应用程序提供多种功能，包括教育工具（EndoPrep, Endo Lit, Dental Endo Master， Adat牙髓补习卡，牙齿SOS，受伤牙齿，事故），诊断辅助工具（Endo10）和病例难度评估（AAE Endo case）。大多数应用都可以在Android和iOS上使用，评分从4.2/5到5/5不等。讨论：这项研究强调了智能手机应用在牙髓学中越来越重要的作用，特别是在教育、临床支持和患者指导方面。虽然这些应用程序提供交互式学习和诊断帮助，但它们的质量因开发人员专业知识、可用性和监管监督的差异而有所不同。有些游戏在用户粘性和功能方面表现出色，而另一些则需要在定制化和可访问性方面进行改进。确保以证据为基础的发展、标准化的评估和以用户为中心的设计对于最大限度地发挥其对牙科教育和临床实践的影响至关重要。结论：智能手机应用在牙髓教育中具有变革性的潜力，可以实现灵活的学习和提高临床技能。然而，诸如质量不一致和验证有限等挑战需要引起注意。登记：本述评不需要正式登记。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International endodontic journal 医学-牙科与口腔外科

CiteScore

10.20

自引率

28.00%

发文量

195

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The International Endodontic Journal is published monthly and strives to publish original articles of the highest quality to disseminate scientific and clinical knowledge; all manuscripts are subjected to peer review. Original scientific articles are published in the areas of biomedical science, applied materials science, bioengineering, epidemiology and social science relevant to endodontic disease and its management, and to the restoration of root-treated teeth. In addition, review articles, reports of clinical cases, book reviews, summaries and abstracts of scientific meetings and news items are accepted. The International Endodontic Journal is essential reading for general dental practitioners, specialist endodontists, research, scientists and dental teachers.