Influence of a major pre-clinical programme restructure on undergraduate student fixed prosthodontics clinical unit completions.

INTRODUCTION: Research is limited in measuring the effectiveness of pre-clinical programmes in preparing students for fixed prosthodontics clinical practice. The aim of this retrospectively study was to assess the influence of a major pre-clinical programme restructure on undergraduate student fixed prosthodontics clinical unit completions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The fixed prosthodontics treatment registers from 2011 to 2020 were reviewed, and units completed per student (UCS) and units completed per student per session (UCSS) were calculated in the years before (2011-2013) and after (2014-2020) a major pre-clinical programme restructure (PR). Data were summarised in Microsoft Excel software (version 2016), and Student's t-test and paired t-tests were performed to determine the significance of difference in UCS and UCSS in the years before and after the PR. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the UCS (p < .05) and UCSS (p < .01) in the years before and after the PR. The average UCS in the years before the PR was 2.20 units compared with 3.86 units after the PR, an increase of 75% per student. The average UCSS in the years before the PR was 0.15 units compared with 0.28 units after the PR, an increase of 87% per session. CONCLUSION: The fixed prosthodontics pre-clinical programme restructure resulted in statistically significantly increased student clinical unit completions.