Evaluation and Gender Base Comparison of Single-Root Canal Treatment Performance by Clinical-Phase Dental Students Using an Analytic Rubric System

This study aimed to determine the effect of gender on the performance of a summative assessment of a nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment (RCT) on single-rooted teeth. Additionally, the association between Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPA) and performance was also evaluated.

A total of 74 fifth-year dental students (31 males and 43 females) were evaluated by two examiners using a calibrated analytic rubric. The scoring system included a 4-point scale (36 points) for examination/diagnosis and clinical steps, and a 5-point scale (15 points) for chairside oral parameters. For the different rubric parameters, the descriptive statistics were calculated, and following that, a pairwise test, as an independent t-test, was performed to compare the rubric scores between student groups and examiners. The reliability of the rubric was assessed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficient tests analyzed the associations between CGPA, examiners, and RCT performance scores.

Results revealed nearly identical overall scores (43.375/42.720) for males and females, with no statistically significant differences in any evaluated parameters or examiner assessments (p ≥ 0.050). Inter-examiner reliability, measured using the ICC, was excellent, with values ranging from 0.75 to 0.86 across all parameters. A strong positive correlation was found between students' GPAs and their performance in specific assessment criteria (p = 0.001).

The findings indicate that gender does not significantly influence dental students' performance in nonsurgical root canal treatment of single-canal teeth, as assessed using a calibrated analytic rubric. High inter-examiner reliability and a strong positive correlation between cumulative GPA and performance scores suggest that academic achievement may be a better predictor of clinical competency than gender.

Male and female dental students demonstrated comparable, consistently high performance across most evaluation criteria for single-canal RCTs. Their performance scores showed a positive correlation with their CGPAs, and the evaluations by both examiners were consistent and reliable.