Testing Educational Modalities for Temporomandibular Disorders Curriculum

NCT07203456 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: #IRB-24-0018
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is done to assess the change in confidence level, knowledge, and diagnostic ability in TMD-related aspects through the exposure to a Virtual Patient-Based Learning (VPBL) platform featuring temporomandibular disorder (TMD) cases among 3rd and 4th year predoctoral dental students at a larger predoctoral school.

Conditions

Confidence; Diagnostic Ability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Self-perceived Confidence Level

  Change in confidence level between baseline and after the educational intervention. The self-perceived confidence level will be measured with a 12-item confidence level scale (previously developed and validated by the research group), where answer options range from 0 to 10 on a numerical rating scale (with 0 = "not confident at all" and 10 = "extremely confident"). The 12 items refer to TMD-related skills, including but not limited to providing a treatment plan for patients with TMD, screening of TMD patients, education on the TMD condition, performing diagnostic injections, referring to healthcare providers, among others.

  Immediately after the educational intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Diagnostic ability in diagnosing TMD cases

  Immediately after the educational intervention

Study Arms (3)

Clinical exposure to patients with TMD

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will be exposed to clinical patients with TMD

Other: Clinical exposure to patients with TMD

Clinical exposure to patients with TMD and virtual patient based learning (VPBL)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will be exposed to clinical patients with TMD and to the corresponding virtual patient with the same TMD diagnosis featured on the VPBL

Other: Clinical exposure to TMD + VPBL

Virtual Patient Based Learning (VPBL)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be exposed to review virtual patients featured on the VPBL

Other: Virtual Patient Based Learning (VPBL)

Interventions

Virtual Patient Based Learning (VPBL) OTHER

A digital platform featuring 20 virtual patients has been built to increase predoctoral student clinical exposure to patients with TMD signs and symptoms

Virtual Patient Based Learning (VPBL)

Clinical exposure to patients with TMD OTHER

Participants in this arm will be exposed to patients with TMD signs and symptoms, to the history taking, interview, clinical examination, diagnostic process, and treatment plan under the supervision of an orofacial pain specialist

Clinical exposure to patients with TMD

Clinical exposure to TMD + VPBL OTHER

Participants will be exposed to patients with TMD signs and symptoms (including history taking, interview, clinical exam, diagnostic process, and treatment plan) under the supervision of an orofacial pain specialist, and then will be exposed to the corresponding TMD patient on the VPBL, featuring virtual patients with TMD

Clinical exposure to patients with TMD and virtual patient based learning (VPBL)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Third or Fourth year dental students at the College of Dental Medicine at Midwestern University (Illinois)

You may not qualify if:

• Dental students not enrolled at the third and/or fourth year of the College of Dental Medicine at Midwestern University (Illinois)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Midwestern University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Midwestern University

Downers Grove, Illinois, 60515, United States

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Linda Sangalli, DDS, MS, PhD

CONTACT

630-515-4617; lsanga@midwestern.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Educational intervention with virtual patient learning

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2025
• First Posted: October 2, 2025
• Study Start: June 13, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)