Virtual and augmented reality in dental education: The good, the bad and the better

Abstract

IntroductionVirtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) are becoming established technologies with a wide range of possibilities in various academic fields, including dentistry. The practice of dentistry encompasses a spectrum of skills and knowledge of anatomy, complex technical and clinical skills and sound academic understanding. This review aims to scope the current use of these technologies in dental education, explore their impact on teaching and learning and envisage their potential in this field.Materials and MethodsThe Cochrane Library, PubMed and EMBASE were searched. Cochrane Handbook was used to conduct this systematic review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied; randomised control trials published in English in the last 10 years (2010–2020) were considered and screened independently by two authors.ResultsFourteen of 524 studies were included and assessed. The majority of articles describing the use of VR/AR focused on an Undergraduate/General Dental Practitioner audience. Its use in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Endodontics and Restorative dentistry was also described. There is evidence of motor skill acquisition using these systems which is comparative to that of traditional methods.ConclusionThe use of VR/AR is well established in dental education; most applications relate to undergraduate education as a useful adjunct to dental training. In this article, the breadth of learning in dental education using VR/AR was exploited providing an overview to aid dental education. VR/AR is a useful adjunct to conventional learning in dentistry. However, there are limitations preventing VR/AR widespread use and applications, such as lack of trials, standardisation and accreditation of systems/content.

Influence of background music on stress reduction and impact on performances during students’ simulation exercises

“…Mastery of bimanual psychomotor skills is a defining goal of preclinical dental training education, and a wide variation in dental skills among practitioners is associated with adverse intraoperative and postoperative patient outcomes and satisfaction. [1][2][3][4] The development of clinical competency has become a vital component in the education of future dentists capable of sustainably coping with future challenges. New trends in teaching and assessment methods keep shaking up educational standards.…”

“…Mastery of bimanual psychomotor skills is a defining goal of preclinical dental training education, and a wide variation in dental skills among practitioners is associated with adverse intraoperative and postoperative patient outcomes and satisfaction 1–4 …”

A New Era of Dental Care: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Better Diagnosis and Treatment

“…AI can enhance these experiences by providing real-time guidance and feedback to learners. This approach accelerates the learning curve and offers a dynamic and engaging way to train dental professionals, ultimately leading to higher competence and confidence [ 45 ].…”

Effectiveness and Student Perceptions of Haptic Virtual Reality Simulation Training as an Instructional Tool in Pre-Clinical Paediatric Dentistry: A Pilot Pedagogical Study

“…These technologies create a virtual environment that is safe and allows students to repeatedly practice clinical procedures in their own time while receiving synchronous standardized computer-generated feedback. The self-assessment process helps students to identify individual learning needs and to engage in self-directed learning and critical thinking [3]. Despite the high initial cost of virtual reality simulators, the absence of procedure repetition limits, fewer consumables required, and reduced faculty supervision time has been shown to have long-term cost benefits [4][5][6].…”