VR-haptics-enhanced training holds potential to transform dental education

Over the past decade, VR haptic simulations have emerged as a promising tool in dental education, providing innovative training opportunities to complement traditional practice. Posted in Journal of Dental EducationAn international research team led by the Institute of Dentistry at the University of Eastern Finland conducted a review examining the current applications and impact of VR haptics in dental learning, practice and teaching.

The researchers conducted a thorough literature search on PubMed, focusing on studies published between January 2010 and January 2024. From 667 initial pairs, 42 articles were selected for in-depth analysis. Additionally, results from a global educator survey on the use of VR haptics in dental education were included in the analysis.

According to this study, VR haptic simulation has shown significant value as a complementary tool in dental simulation practice. However, validation is considered a key factor in the acceptance of VR haptic simulators, and further research and validation is needed before VR haptics can be considered a primary method of learning hand skills in dental education. The researchers concluded that VR haptic simulations could be used as an assessment tool in the certification process for students and clinicians in the future.

“Despite the digital nature of VR haptic augmentation training, students have demonstrated the ability to effectively transfer hand skills to real-world scenarios. Thanks to VR haptic technology, educators now have a better chance of establishing preclinical and clinical practice education. Multiple choices.

“VR haptics-enabled dental education has great potential to address preclinical and clinical training challenges. It may help alleviate some of the limitations of current educational methods. However, continued research and validation is needed before VR haptics is considered a primary approach. Crucial.