Effects of Structured Panoramic Radiograph Interpretation Training on Dental Students' Visual Attention: A Pre-Post Eye Tracking Study.

This study aimed to investigate changes in dental students' visual attention and visual search behavior during panoramic radiograph interpretation before and after structured panoramic interpretation training using objective eye-tracking metrics. A pre-post educational eye tracking study was conducted with 40 dental students. Participants examined six panoramic radiographs under free-viewing conditions, followed by a structured training session delivered by an experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologist, introducing a standardized region-by-region interpretation protocol. Following training, significant changes were observed in all fixation- and visit-based metrics in both dentate and extra-dental regions (p < 0.001). The magnitude of change was substantially greater in extra-dental regions, where fixation count and total fixation duration increased by approximately fivefold compared with baseline values. Visit-based metrics demonstrated similar patterns, more systematic visual search behavior after training. Gender-stratified analyses revealed broadly similar improvements across genders, with limited between-gender differences in change scores observed for fixation duration-related parameters. Structured panoramic interpretation training redistributed students' visual attention toward previously underexamined extra-dental anatomical regions, resulting in a more balanced inspection of panoramic radiographs. Furthermore, eye tracking provides an objective process-based approach for evaluating educational interventions in dental radiology.