Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite growing use of dental operating microscopes, structured undergraduate training is limited and often lacks hands-on integration. This study evaluates undergraduate dental students’ knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction following a step-by-step course in microscopic dentistry. METHODS: This single-group quasi-experimental study included 103 second-year dental undergraduates from Wuhan University, completing a 4-session step-by-step microscopic dentistry course. Two researcher-developed questionnaires, which were pilot-tested and contained Likert-scale and binary-response items, were administered to participants at the following time: (1) a pre-course questionnaire assessing core knowledge areas and attitudes toward microscopic dentistry, (2) a post-course questionnaire evaluating changes in knowledge and attitudes as well as satisfaction with this course. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests for knowledge and attitude scales, McNemar’s tests for binary responses, and one-sample t-tests for satisfaction data (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Among 103 enrolled students, response rates were 99.0% (102/103) for the pre-course assessment and 95.1% (98/103) for the post-course assessment, with 88 matched pairs retained for final analysis. The knowledge assessment scores demonstrated a statistically significant improvement following the course intervention (2.90 ± 0.83 to 4.20 ± 0.69, p < 0.001). Regarding participants’ attitudes, perceived dental operating microscope necessity increased (4.53 ± 0.61 to 4.82 ± 0.42, p < 0.001), with clinical benefit recognition rising from 89.7 to 97.7% (p = 0.021) and treatment time misconceptions declining from 44.8 to 21.8% (p = 0.001). These improvements suggest the course effectively addressed both conceptual and perceptual gaps. Course satisfaction was high (97.7% overall), with 100% agreement on content relevance and teaching method effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The course appears to be an effective tool for enhancing dental students’ knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction. Further controlled studies are needed to validate its long-term impact. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07947-5.