Patient-specific virtual simulation in the clinical training for prosthetic dentistry

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Prosthetic Dentistry
• Virtual Simulation

Background:

• Dental education requires hands-on patient treatment, with each case presenting unique challenges for students.
• Virtual simulation offers a novel approach, enabling training on actual patient cases in a digital environment prior to clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate patient-specific virtual simulation training within a prosthetic dentistry curriculum.
• To assess student acceptance and identify areas for improvement in virtual simulation technology for dental training.

Main Methods:

• Patient-specific intraoral scans (.stl files) were utilized with the Simodont Dental Trainer for virtual tooth preparation.
• Students completed virtual tasks using instruction manuals, with digital preparations submitted for teacher evaluation.
• A voluntary survey was administered to assess student feedback on the training experience.

Main Results:

• Forty-two dental students participated, finding patient-specific tasks more engaging than standard ones.
• Students valued the provided information on technology and patient-specific procedures.
• Feedback indicated dissatisfaction with the technical performance and realism of the virtual simulation system.

Conclusions:

• Patient-specific virtual simulation is a viable and accepted training method for dental students before clinical preparation.
• Significant technical enhancements are necessary to improve the fidelity and performance of current virtual simulation platforms.