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. 2025 Oct 2:12:1597710.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1597710. eCollection 2025.

Cronodent I, 3D interactive manual for self-learning of the dental chronology of equines

Evangelina Rodero  1   2 , Ana González-Martínez  1   2 , Andres Diz  3 , Jesus Rodero  4
Affiliations

Cronodent I, 3D interactive manual for self-learning of the dental chronology of equines

Evangelina Rodero et al. Front Vet Sci. .

Abstract

One of a veterinarian's routine tasks is animal identification, with age being a crucial factor in the identification and evaluation of individuals. Knowledge of the morphological changes in animal dentition used to determine their age is essential in veterinary education. Today's students increasingly prefer innovative learning tools that incorporate 3D anatomical models over traditional 2D resources. As part of a teaching innovation project at the University of Córdoba, Spain, new educational materials were developed to aid students in identifying the age of animals using 3D images of equine incisor teeth. The main objectives of this initiative were to develop an app, Cronodent I, to support learning of equine dental chronology through 3D-scanned images of horses' dental arches. A second objective was to evaluate students' perception and acceptance of these new teaching materials, as well as their impact on academic performance. For this purpose, 17 equine dental arches were 3D scanned and incorporated into the Cronodent I app. The app's usefulness was evaluated through a student satisfaction survey (N = 97) and, success rate and performance scores (N = 453). The app was easily accessible and received positive ratings for functionality and usability. The scores improved significatively (p < 0.05) from 4.37 to 4.86, following the success rate a similar trend: it increased more after the Cronodent I app became available to students on the Moodle platform (50.35% vs. 57.51%), but dropped to 48.76% when the app was accessible only on Android mobile devices. Cronodent I proved to be an effective educational tool for developing students' skills in determining horse age based on dentition type and tooth wear stages. Cronodent I supports self-directed learning and offers mobile access to anatomical materials and resources, with accessibility emerging as a key factor in its overall success. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of Cronodent I on the learning outcomes of veterinary students to determine its effectiveness.

Keywords: 3D technology; dental age; equids; mobile app; self-study.

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Conflict of interest statement

JR was employed by Synergya Tech. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration for scanning setup and procedure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Result of the 3D scanning process, polygonal mesh, and textured model of lower dental arch no. 7.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Polygonal density comparison between the original high-resolution 3D model (left) and the 3D mesh after the optimization process (right).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Virtual emplacement of the 3D models of the upper and lower arches.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Access to Cronodent I for determining age in horses (left) and main window (right). Reproduced with permission.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Images of dental bases for determining age in horses (deciduous and permanent teeth and order of eruption).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Tables to determine horse age (eruption and wear) in the Cronodent I app. Reproduced with permission.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Self-evaluation module in the Cronodent I app. Reproduced with permission.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Student opinion results (N = 97) on accessibility or localization of the app (A) and correct functioning (B).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Student opinion results (N = 97) regarding the app’s interface usability (A) and frequency of use (B).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Student opinion results (N = 97) on its effectiveness in equine age determination (A), identifying wear stages (B) and types of dentition (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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