Assessment of the modified O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity and Purdue Pegboard test for use among dental students

Objectives: The current study aimed to assess criteria validity and test–retest reliability of the modified O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity (O'Connor) and the Purdue Pegboard test (PPT) for use among dental students. Occupational therapists were asked to assess dentist-related skills due to the high percentage of students who failed the dental school exams that year. The O'Connor and the PPT are suitable for these purposes, they aim to evaluate fine motor skills requirements. The original tests were modified for use under indirect visualization conditions (through a mirror) to mimic the typical dentists’ work environment. Materials and methods: A total of 110 dentists were included in the present study (50 dentists for the O'Connor test and 60 for the PPT). Both tests were conducted twice. Initially, the original version of the tests was followed by the modified versions (through a mirror). For the test–retest reliability assessment, 21 participants (10 participants from the O'Connor group and 11 participants from the PPT group) repeated the evaluation within a 1-week interval using the same settings (original followed by modified versions). Results: Both versions of the O'Connor tests were significantly correlated (r = 0.54, p < 0.01), as were the two PPT versions (r = 0.640, p < 0.01). Significantly test–retest reliability was found for both tests. The interclass correlation ranged between 0.883 and 0.997, p < 0.000. Conclusion: The results confirmed our hypothesis, demonstrating a criteria validity and test–retest reliability assessment of the modified O'Connor and the modified PPT for assessing dentists.