Augmented and Virtual Reality in Dental Medicine Updated: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Dental Medicine
• Educational Technology
• Immersive Technologies

Background:

• Augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) are emerging technologies in healthcare.
• Their application in dental medicine and education requires systematic evaluation.
• This review synthesizes current evidence on AR, MR, and VR in dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate evidence on AR, MR, and VR in dental medicine and education.
• To assess the effectiveness and applications of these technologies in clinical and educational settings.
• To perform qualitative synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis where applicable.

Main Methods:

• Systematic electronic search from January 1, 2019, to July 14, 2025.
• Inclusion of studies on AR, MR, or VR in clinical treatment or dental education.
• Pairwise meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for VR and stress parameters.

Main Results:

• 110 studies included, with VR being the most investigated technology (n=94).
• VR significantly reduced anxiety (SMD=-1.32) and borderline reduced heart rate (MD=-3.26) in children compared to standard techniques.
• No significant differences were found for adult patients in physiological or reported outcomes.

Conclusions:

• AR, MR, and VR are increasingly utilized in dental training and practice.
• Evidence supports VR's effectiveness in enhancing student learning and patient experience, especially for anxiety and pain management.
• Study limitations include heterogeneity and a limited number of high-quality studies, resulting in low to moderate evidence certainty.