Title

Expert opinion survey on diagnostic and treatment-planning gaps in orthodontics among dental interns: Validation of the need for a MOOC-based educational intervention

Authors

Tanusha Mahobia^1,*, Pallavi Daigavane¹, Piyush Khandelwal², Rudra Pratap Singh Thakur², Sonam Parakh² & Neha Yadav³

Affiliation

¹Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India; ²Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Chhattisgarh Dental College and Research Institute, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India; ³Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Maitri College of Dentistry and Research Centre, Anjora, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India; *Corresponding author

Email

Tanusha Mahobia - E-mail: tanushamahobia@gmail.com
Pallavi Daigavane - E-mail: Pallavi.daigavane15@gmail.com
Piyush Khandelwal - E-mail: drpiyush.cdcri@gmail.com
Rudra Pratap Singh Thakur - E-mail: rps7869@gmail.com
Sonam Parakh - E-mail: drsonamparakh@gmail.com
Neha Yadav - E-mail: drnehayadav25@gmail.com

Article Type

Research Article

Date

Received February 1, 2026; Revised February 28, 2026; Accepted February 28, 2026, Published February 28, 2026

Abstract

Accurate orthodontic diagnosis and systematic treatment planning are essential competencies for dental interns, yet inconsistencies in diagnostic skills are frequently reported. Therefore, it is of interest to expert opinion survey assessed perceived diagnostic and treatment-planning gaps among orthodontic interns and evaluated the need for a structured MOOC-based educational intervention. A validated questionnaire was administered to consultant orthodontists and responses were analyzed descriptively with thematic interpretation of qualitative inputs. Experts reported significant deficiencies in diagnostic formulation, problem listing and treatment sequencing among interns, with strong consensus on the need for structured digital training. Thus, we show the development of a focused MOOC to standardize orthodontic diagnostic education and improve clinical reasoning among interns.

Keywords

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), orthodontic education, diagnostic errors, dental interns, treatment planning, expert opinion.

Citation

Mahobia et al. Bioinformation 22(2): 829-833 (2026)

Edited by

Hiroj Bagde

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.