Immersive Virtual Reality and Deliberate Practice for Complex Skills Acquisition During Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block...

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Simulation
• Anesthesiology Training

Background:

• Novice dental students require effective training for inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) injections.
• Traditional methods may not fully prepare students for the complexities of IANB delivery.
• Virtual reality simulation offers a novel approach to enhance procedural skills training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the construct and transfer validity of a virtual reality inferior alveolar nerve (VRIAN) injection simulation.
• To determine if VRIAN simulation improves IANB technique in novice dental students.
• To evaluate the impact of VRIAN simulation on student confidence and learning experience.

Main Methods:

• Forty-four second-year dental students were randomized into VR and control groups.
• Both groups received traditional lecture instruction; the VR group additionally completed 10 VRIAN injections.
• Peer-to-peer injection exercises were conducted for both groups, with accuracy and confidence assessed.

Main Results:

• The VR group demonstrated improved injection positioning by 0.63 mm in 3D distance (p=0.004) and 0.55 mm in the anterior-posterior dimension (p<0.001).
• VR training significantly increased student confidence in performing IANB injections (p=0.011).
• Both groups achieved similar success rates in providing anesthesia during the peer-to-peer exercise.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality inferior alveolar nerve (VRIAN) injection simulation serves as an effective adjunct for IANB skills training.
• VRIAN simulation enhances dental students' learning experiences and self-confidence.
• Deliberate practice with VRIAN technology can improve IANB injection technique for novice learners.