Global Study: VR Haptics Shows Promise in Dental Education

A comprehensive global study examining the role of haptics-enhanced virtual reality in dental education has revealed promising results, while also identifying key areas for improvement. The research, set to be published in the Journal of Dental Education, offers valuable insights into the current state and future potential of this technology in dental training.

Survey Scope and Methodology

The study, conducted by the VR-Haptic Thinkers group, gathered data through an extensive survey reaching dental educators worldwide. The research team distributed a detailed 28-item online questionnaire to over 1,000 participants, ultimately collecting 378 responses from 156 institutions by mid-September. The survey employed a five-point Likert scale alongside open-ended feedback opportunities, with subsequent analysis performed using GraphPad Prism.

Current Implementation Status

The findings indicate a clear preference for VR-haptic technology in preclinical settings, with 267 recorded implementations compared to 131 in clinical environments. Notably, the majority of educators favoured using VR-haptics as a complement to traditional phantom head training rather than as a standalone solution.

Challenges and Opportunities

The research identified several key areas for development through the analysis of 182 participant suggestions. The most frequently cited priorities included:

• Expansion of training scenarios (41 mentions)
• Software usability improvements (32 mentions)
• AI integration for personalised training (28 mentions)

Significant barriers to adoption were also highlighted, with more than one-third of respondents pointing to hardware and software limitations. Economic constraints were cited by approximately 20% of participants, while over 10% reported resistance to adoption among both educators and students.

Future Outlook

The VR-Haptic Thinkers group expressed optimism about the technology’s future, stating: “Developments in personalised training and cost-effective devices could further integrate VR-haptics into dental curricula.” The researchers’ conclusions emphasised the technology’s current value, noting that “VR-haptics provides valuable real-time feedback in dental education,” suggesting potential improvements in educational outcomes and oral healthcare practices through continued development and implementation.

Source: SDMag.co.uk