Handedness of Malaysian Undergraduate Dental Students and Its Impact on Perceived Difficulty in Clinical Training in Dentistry

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of handedness and its impact on the perceived difficulty in clinical training amongst undergraduate dental students in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in 5 dental schools around the Klang Valley. Samples consisted of year 4 and year 5 clinical undergraduate dental students. Information on the socio-demographic data, the determination of handedness and assesment of perceived difficulty in carrying out certain clinical procedures were collected. Results: A total sample of 347 participants of which 76.9% were females was obtained. The distribution of year 4 and year 5 students in the sample were equal. Eighty five percent of the samples were right-handed, 9.5% were ambidextrous and 5.5% were left-handed. Statistically significant difference was found between handedness groups for the combined clinical procedures variable: F (2.100), P<0.050; Wilks’ Lambda 0.823; partial-eta squared=0.093. When the procedures were considered separately, usage of hand-piece(s) during cavity preparation, caries removal using hand instrument, placing of restorative material, carving and polishing restorative material, and extraction of lower right quadrant were perceived as significantly more difficult by the lefthanders. Conclusion: Handedness significantly impacts on perceived difficulty of clinical training in areas of restorative procedure and tooth extraction.