Background: The dental department of the University Hospital of Nice has set the "box of horrors," an innovative concept inspired by the "room of horrors," created in 2006 in Canada, and utilized since 2011 in France.
Purpose: The aim was to assess the impact and perceived value of this clinical practice game utilized by fourth-year dental students.
Methods: This pilot study following a cross-sectional pre- and posttest research design was used to assess students' change in performance. The experimental group was divided into 12 students teams (n = 50). A questionnaire was completed before they entered the box; they had then to find out 10 errors hidden in the box in a set time. A debriefing was held immediately after. The control group answered the same questions but did not follow the course inside the box. The percentages of correct answers were compared between the two groups with a Mann-Whitney test, and the scores per student were analyzed with a mixed effects ordinal multiple logistic regression. Finally, a satisfaction questionnaire was proposed.
Results: After the course, the students from the experimental group performed 94% correct answers, while those from the control group showed 78% (significant difference). The outcome of the mixed effect multiple regression showed a significant group effect (p = 0.0001) and gender effect (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Clinical games, although complex to implement, are interesting and rewarding tools. The adaptation of the tool to the dental sector appeared to be feasible.
Keywords: hygiene; odontology; quality; safety.
© 2021 American Dental Education Association.