Mental training in dentistry: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical motor skills are essential to train dental students. There is evidence that imagery serves to acquire and improve motor skills, but there is scarce information on its application in dental education. In order to broadly map the available evidence and to detect knowledge gaps in the mental training used to develop motor skills in dentistry, a scoping review was conducted. Materials and methods: A structured search was conducted to identify relevant references from the Web of Science, Scopus and MEDLINE/PubMed databases for studies addressing mental training methods applied to develop motor skills in dentistry. Results: A total of 758 articles were screened and four were selected, all of which were randomized clinical trials. Three studies investigated the effectiveness of visual imagery, and one investigated kinesthetic imagery. The research theme identified was motor skill acquisition. Conclusion: The reviewed studies indicate the usefulness of mental training for skill acquisition in dentistry. To improve the generalizability of the results, further research with standardized mental training on motor skills in dentistry is needed.