Objectives <p>In dental education, it is challenging for novices to practice independently after watching the teacher demonstrating. Additionally, feedback during the training process tends to be untimely, subjective, and varied. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating a colored model tooth with a digital assessment system to enhance cavity preparation skills, as well as the role of this approach in identifying challenges during practice and students' perceptions of their learning experience.</p> Material and methods <p>A total of 464 fourth-year undergraduate dental students participated in two 4-h lessons. Students (<i>n</i> = 231) from the 2023 academic year received traditional training (traditional group), which involved using standard model teeth of a single color with instructions solely from the instructor. In contrast, students (<i>n</i> = 233) from the 2024 academic year comprised the digital group. After observing a demonstration conducted by the instructor, participants in the digital group prepared one standard model tooth and engaged in peer evaluation. Subsequently, they prepared a colored tooth to better understand the cavity outline and practiced incorporating feedback obtained from both digital evaluations and instructors. At the conclusion of this process, all students completed an examination with standard model teeth as well as self-evaluation of their clinical skills. Furthermore, the perception of students in digital group towards both the colored tooth and digital evaluation was assessed through a questionnaire. Statistical analyses of scores were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, while questionnaire data were presented as percentages and means.</p> Results <p>Peer assessment scores in the digital group exceeded those of digital self-evaluations across seven out of eight rating criteria, indicating a limited capacity for self-assessment among novices. Following the implementation of colored tooth and digital evaluation methods, students in the digital group achieved higher exam scores compared to their counterparts in the traditional group (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) and demonstrated significantly greater clinical confidence than those in the traditional cohort. The majority of students provided positive feedback regarding both the colored tooth and digital evaluation systems. A substantial 76% expressed a preference for utilizing these evaluation tools as guidance, while 73% indicated that they found the colored teeth and digital evaluation system beneficial as a complement to teacher instruction during practice.</p> Conclusions <p>The phased training framework that integrates colored teeth with digital evaluation enhanced training effectiveness and students’ confidence in the preclinical tooth preparation training. These educational tools are potential for broader implementation within dental education.</p>