Abstract: Objective To design and apply a comprehensive oral examination and treatment planning form during the clinical internship of dental students in the general dentistry specialty, evaluating its teaching effectiveness in fostering the early development of students' holistic dental thinking. Methods The study included 8 general dentistry residents undergoing standardized training at the Second Comprehensive Department of Peking University School of Stomatology and 88 undergraduate interns (5-year and 8-year program dental students from the class of 2019, collectively referred to as interns for convenience). The comprehensive oral examination and treatment planning form was introduced after one week's their general dentistry clinical rotation. After two months of use, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the form's impact on cultivating holistic dental thinking among the interns. Results After using the form, 96 interns (100.0%) showed improvement in the comprehensiveness and systematicity of oral examinations, while 95 interns (99.0%) demonstrated progress in the systematicity, comprehensiveness, and personalization of comprehensive oral treatment. All 96 interns (100.0%) reported that the form aided their clinical training, and 95 (99.0%) acknowledged its necessity. Conclusions The application of the comprehensive oral examination and treatment planning form during general dentistry rotations enhances interns' emphasis on systematic oral examinations and treatment design, preliminarily establishing and nurturing standardized holistic dental thinking. This lays a foundation and provides support for subsequent clinical training and practice.

Key words: Oral medicine, Internship, General dentistry, Comprehensive teaching clinic, Cultivation