Abstract:

Given the issues of poor operating habits and unfamiliarity with procedures among dental students during clinical internships, enhancing their clinical skills is vital. The use of animal models in dental laboratory teaching serves as a crucial component of preclinical training for dental students and therefore related research requires attention. The article focuses on critical disciplines such as prosthodontics, oral maxillofacial surgery, and periodontics, and uses laboratory teaching examples such as occlusion experiments, facial suturing, cleft lip and palate reconstruction surgery, and periodontal flap surgery to explore previous animal models used for laboratory teaching in various disciplines of dentistry. It also introduces potential animal models, and summarizes and evaluates their advantages and challenges in dental education and laboratory teaching. The aim of this review is to promote the educational reform of dental experiments and improve the clinical operating skills of dental students.

Key words: animal model, dental education, dental laboratory teaching