Investigation of the impact of a mobile performance support system developed for endodontic treatment on clinical skills

ABSTRACT Dental education is a complex process that requires the holistic development of clinical decision-making and psychomotor skills beyond the mere transfer of cognitive knowledge. Endodontics, in particular, is one of the most challenging clinical disciplines for students due to its high technical sensitivity. Traditional clinical training models often fail to provide timely guidance during procedures because of heavy patient loads and limited instructor availability. In this context, digital solutions that offer just-in-time support during clinical practice have emerged as an innovative approach in endodontic education. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the Mobile Performance Support System (MPSS), developed for use in the endodontic clinical lesson, on the clinical skills of fourth-year dental students; to analyze system usage data; and to evaluate students' levels of technology acceptance. This study was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year and included 77 fourth-year dental students. The students were divided into control and experimental groups; the MPSS was actively used throughout the clinical training period in the experimental group. The stages of root canal treatment performed by the students access cavity preparation, isolation, canal preparation, canal obturation, and cavity cleaning were evaluated using an analytic scoring rubric. In addition, MPSS usage records of the experimental group were analyzed, and students' perceptions of the system were assessed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The clinical performance scores of students who used the MPSS were found to be significantly higher than those of the control group, except for the preparation and canal obturation stages in molar teeth (p < 0.05). While access to the MPSS was available at all hours of the day, the highest level of use was observed during the periods preceding the endodontic clinical sessions and during nighttime hours. The results of the TAM that both groups perceived the MPSS as a highly useful, easy to use and supportive tool for clinical learning (p > 0.05). The use of the MPSS in endodontic clinical lesson was found to enhance students' clinical performance and to be associated with a high level of technology acceptance. Usage data showed that students most frequently accessed content related to access cavity preparation and canal orifice localization in molar teeth. These findings indicate that mobile performance support systems are effective complementary tools for clinical skill development and hold promise for digital transformation in undergraduate education. Keywords: Endodontics, Dental Education, Mobile Performance Support System