A Comparison of Undergraduate Prosthodontic Teaching of Removable Partial Dentures in Saudi Arabian Dental Colleges with North American and Turkish Dental Schools

Abstract

Objectives: To meet the needs of society, it is obligatory to provide standardized skill training to undergraduate students in dental colleges. Surveys related to teaching curriculum are valuable means to evaluate education across the country. The aim of this study was to find the trends in the undergraduate teaching curriculum, by determining the differences in the teaching methods and principles of fabrication of removable partial dentures in dental colleges in Saudi Arabia and to compare these with the curriculum of North American dental schools and Turkish dental schools. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted in 23 dental colleges of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive data analysis was performed to synopsize the information. Results: Eighteen out of 23 (78.23%) dental colleges of Saudi Arabia answered the questionnaire; 88.9% of the colleges follow the practice of using custom trays for making final impressions; and 44.4% of the colleges use only polyvinyl siloxane for making final impressions. Semiadjustable articulators were commonly used for mounting study casts (61.1%) and master casts (66.6%). An in-house production laboratory is present in 72.2% of the colleges. Cobalt–chromium alloy is used in 94.4% of the colleges for the framework. A set protocol for postinsertion adjustment visits is followed in 94.4% of the colleges. Conclusions: Dental colleges of Saudi Arabia have similar standards of removable partial denture education at the undergraduate level, with variations in a few aspects. Removable partial denture teaching programs of Saudi Arabian dental colleges are comparable to similar programs in dental schools of the United States and Turkey.