Abstract
Background: Acquiring fine psychomotor skills is challenging for dental students.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the correlation of cavity preparation skills with drawing skills and handwriting of dental
students.
Methods: Ninety-two male and female dental students taking the preclinical course of restorative dentistry in Shahid Beheshti
dental school participated in three tests of handwriting, drawing a smile and an amalgam class (CL) I cavity preparation and were
scored using a specific scoring system. The correlation among the three skills was assessed using multivariate linear regression.
Results: Most dental students had cavity preparation, handwriting and drawing skills above the average. A significant correlation
was found between drawing and tooth preparation skills (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: A statistically significant difference existed between drawing and cavity preparation skills in students; however, this
correlation was not clinically considerable.