[Application value and positioning of head-mounted displays in oral clinical practice]

Digital technologies such as navigation systems and robotics have substantially improved treatment accuracy, but they have also made frequent shifts of the operator's gaze between the surgical field and chairside monitor a routine part of clinical practice, increasing clinicians' physical and cognitive workload. Head-mounted display (HMD) offers a potential means of reducing such visual distraction; however, some currently available systems remain limited by a mismatch between their functional design and clinical needs, as well as by overly generalized use of technical concepts. On the basis of clarifying the boundaries among virtual reality, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality, and in light of the characteristics of multi-scenario dental practice, this article examines the application positioning of AR-based near-eye information display terminals in oral clinical settings. Such terminals are intended to seamlessly bring key digital information into the clinician's field of view, optimize human-computer interaction, reduce occupational burden, and ultimately improve clinical safety.