A Gamified Mobile Application for Orthodontic Education: Usability Assessment and Impact on Knowledge and Attitude of Dental Students

PURPOSE: The use of gamification-based educational interventions in dentistry has been proposed as a novel approach to increase cognitive engagement and improve learning; however, evidence regarding the simultaneous effect of these tools on students' knowledge and attitude in the field of orthodontics is limited. This study evaluated the usability of a gamified orthodontic application and compared its knowledge and attitude outcomes with traditional reference-book study. METHODS: In an experimental study, 80 sixth-year dental students were assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group used a gamified scenario-based application for 1 month. Usability was assessed with the Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ). Knowledge and attitude scores were measured before and after the intervention, and data were analysed using a mixed linear model. RESULTS: The mean usability scores were assessed as satisfactory. Although both groups improved, significant time × group interactions favoured the intervention group for knowledge (p = 0.013) and attitude (p = 0.001). However, the observed effect sizes were small to moderate, suggesting a limited but potentially meaningful educational benefit. Orthodontic course grade showed a positive and significant association with both outcomes (p < 0.05), whereas gender, overall grade point average (GPA), and software usage history were not significantly associated with the outcomes (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional reference-book study, the gamified application was associated with modest improvements in knowledge and attitudes. However, the design did not allow the specific contribution of gamification to be distinguished from other digital-learning effects.