Perceptual learning: its importance in dentistry

Perceptual skills are essential to the acquisition of motor skills in dentistry. The absence of these perceptual skills should be determined as early as possible and should be rectified by instruction. Programed instruction is one suitable method for teaching these skills. Perceptual discrimination will allow the learner to picture his goal or objective clearly, and it will increase his motivation by enabling him to reach this goal. Perceptual skills are necessary too for the learner to improve his performance by repetitive practice, see his mistakes, and institute corrective behavior.