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CC BY 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1810599
Review Article

The Influence of Magnification on Endodontic Therapy in Undergraduate Students: A Narrative Review

Sarah Salah Gaafar 
1   Department of Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Dar Al-Uloum University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2   Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Abstract

This literature review aims to evaluate the influence of magnification devices, such as loupes and microscopes, on the performance and learning outcomes of undergraduate dental students in endodontic therapy. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between 2016 and 2024. The search included keywords such as “magnification,” “endodontic therapy,” “undergraduate students,” and “dental education.” Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles and clinical and preclinical studies addressing magnification in endodontic training. Data were extracted, analyzed, and synthesized to assess the impact of magnification on students' technical performance, learning, skill acquisition, confidence, and educational implications. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The review findings indicate that the use of magnification significantly improved performance in endodontic procedures, enhancing success rates and the quality of work. Students also reported increased confidence when using magnification. Language bias where only English-language studies were included, restricting the search to the past 10 years, variability in study designs, and outcome measures may have limited the comparability of findings. The evidence suggests that magnification significantly enhances undergraduate students' performance and confidence in endodontic therapy. Integrating magnification devices into endodontic training programs is likely to improve student outcomes. Dental schools should consider incorporating magnification tools into their endodontic curricula to improve student competency and confidence. Further research should explore optimal magnification modalities for different endodontic procedures and assess the long-term impact of magnification training on clinical practice.

Keywords

dental magnification - endodontics - root canal therapy - dental students - teaching

Author Contributions

The single author performed the literature research, reported the findings, and performed manuscript preparation, manuscript editing, and manuscript review.


Ethical Considerations

This review utilized publicly available data from published studies, so ethical approval was not required. Plagiarism was avoided through careful paraphrasing and citation.


Data Availability Statement

The data resulting from the literature search can be made available upon a suitable request directed at the corresponding author. This ensures that the research process remains transparent and accessible for further study or verification.




Publication History

Article published online:
01 September 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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