Haptics in fixed prosthodontics and their role in dental education: A literature review

Technological progress leads to new advances in dental education. One of the applications involves the use of virtual and augmented reality as educational aids. The emerging question is to establish if and how these enhancements may prove beneficial to the overall student learning process. A review of recent literature was conducted with the aim of providing evidence for the development of relevant clinical guidelines. The proposed topic attempted to provide answers to the questions of (a) how participants perform when using haptic devices compared to traditional tooth preparation methods on typodonts, (b) how the use of simulators is perceived by both students and educators, and (c) what added value simulators may have in prosthetic dentistry training. The main findings of this study showed that participants expressed satisfaction with the educational experience, finding it both stimulating and very similar to the actual clinical environment. However, differences between haptic and conventional methods were also apparent. Haptics was a significant predictor of clinical crown performance. Significantly better results and shorter preparation times tended to increase with experience. In conclusion, self-directed learning appears to be beneficial in the clinical education that follows data-driven approach. At the pre-laboratory level, simulators may act as an initial familiarization instrument. At the preclinical level, they may aid in detecting students who require extra assistance, or to provide extra training hours for students lacking adequate competency to enter the clinical training phase.