Rethinking preclinical training: student collaboration, developing personal 3D-printed instrument analogues, and the smartphone

Research and exploration continually yield advances in technology and approaches to education. There is often a crossover between these domains, giving rise to technology-enhanced learning. The traditional trainer-imparting-wisdom-to-trainee model is no longer considered a one-way discourse. Dundee School of Dentistry has been exploring novel methods of preclinical and clinical training for quite some time and this is clearly apparent in the 4D curriculum. Key technological areas that have rapidly evolved in the past decade holding tremendous educational potential include personal digital device functionality, along with 3D scanning and printing. This article details a trainee-trainer collaboration to update an existing 3D-printed training tool, simulating a handpiece to interface with capacitive screens.