Abstract: Objective To assess the effect of 3D-printed plastic model teeth in the teaching of dental morphology.Methods Twenty-three undergraduate stomatology students who had matriculated atthe Fourth Medical University in 2016 (course started in September 2017) and twenty-two who had matriculated in 2014 (course started in September 2015) were involved in the study.Each student who matriculated in 2016 was given a full set of 14 standard 3D-printed plastic model teeth for use during the learning process,and an anonymous questionnaire was used to evaluate the 3D-printed plastic model teeth from the perspective of the students.Results For the score of the sculpted gypsum teeth,students who used the 3D-printed plastic model teeth in their studies scored significantly higher (87.57±4.55 vs 83.18±4.51),P<0.01.95.7%(22/23) of the students in 2016 thought that the 3D-printed plastic model teeth were of great help or were very helpful for mastering the anatomy of teeth and for carving the plaster teeth.Conclusions The 3D-printed plastic teeth are of great help to the students in mastering and improving their carving skills.

Key words: Tooth morphology, 3D printing, Teaching methods, Teeth carving