INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL REALITY AND HAPTIC TECHNOLOGY MAY ENHANCE PRECLINICAL TRAINING IN RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Simulation
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Traditional training methods for restorative dentistry procedures face limitations.
• Emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) and haptics offer innovative solutions for skill acquisition.
• The integration of VR and haptics in dental education is a rapidly evolving field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the use of virtual reality and haptics in training dental students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of these technologies on learning restorative dentistry procedures.
• To identify current trends and future directions in VR and haptics for dental education.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review (SR) methodology was employed.
• Literature search was conducted across relevant databases for studies published on VR and haptics in restorative dentistry training.
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select pertinent studies for analysis.

Main Results:

• The review identified a growing body of evidence supporting the use of VR and haptics in dental training.
• Studies indicate that these technologies can improve psychomotor skills, spatial understanding, and procedural accuracy.
• Specific restorative procedures, such as cavity preparation and restoration placement, showed positive learning outcomes with VR/haptic simulation.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality and haptics are valuable tools for enhancing the training of dental students in restorative dentistry.
• These immersive technologies provide safe, repeatable, and effective learning environments.
• Further research is warranted to optimize VR/haptic integration and assess long-term clinical skill transfer.