Chun Wang Chau, ReinhardFelszeghy, SzabolcsSittoni Pino, María FlorenciaArias Herrera, Santiago EmilioBencharit, SompopMaggio, MargritMutluay, MuratRice, David P.Hang Lam, Walter YuUsta, Sıla NurEt. al.2025-10-032025-10-032025Chau, R. C. W., Felszeghy, S., Sittoni-Pino, M. F., Arias-Herrera, S., Bencharit, S., Maggio, M., Mutluay, M., Rice, D. P., Lam, W. Y. H., Usta, S. N., Quinn, B. F., Tricio, J., Nagasawa, M., Pantea, M., Imre, M., Tancu, A. M. C., Ranauta, A., Tezvergil-Mutluay, A., Korpisaari, S., … Lingström, P. (2025). Optimizing preclinical skill assessment for handpiece-naïve students: A strategic approach. Dentistry Journal, 13(8), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj130803632304-6767https://hdl.handle.net/11268/16345Preclinical dental training requires simulation-based tools to develop fine motor skills, but traditional models like plastic teeth often lack realistic tactile feedback, and systematic evaluations of multi-layered drilling plates are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the educational utility and perceived realism of a novel multi-layered drilling plate designed to simulate enamel, dentin, and pulp, with null hypotheses that it would not differ in realism from natural dental tissues or in educational utility from existing tools. Seventy dental educators (mean preclinical teaching experience: 112.9 ± 116.7 months) from 14 institutions across four continents assessed the plates using standardized protocols. Statistical analysis (Mann–Whitney U Test) was performed to analyze the results.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal article10.3390/dj13080363open accessOdontologíaSistema sensorialDesarrollo de las habilidadesGoal 4: Quality education