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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 3/2016 31 Virtual reality simulation Indications and perspectives for the technology in the field of dental education By Dr Susan Bridges, Suzanne Perry & Prof. Michael Burrow, Hong Kong &Australia Virtual reality (VR) simulationinevi- tably conjures up images of futur- istic technology, imaginary worlds or complex robotic devices. What it may not initially suggest is the use of virtual technology as a means of training dental students and den- tists, facilitating the development of skills in a safe and relaxed environ- ment. An increase in demand for simula- tionunitsoverthelasttento10years has indicated growing interest from dental schools, suggesting a certain confidence that simulation systems have potential as a recognised form ofdentalskillstraininginthefuture. Using technology inspired primarily from the flight simulation industry, dental simulators are now able to create an environment in which us- ers can practise clinical procedures, such as restorative dentistry, endo- dontics, periodontal assessment, implant placement and even dental extractions. These systems are a far cry from the first phantom head simulator cre- ated in the early 1900s that attempt- ed to represent the oral cavity with a relatively primitive set of upper and lower dental casts mounted on a metal pole (Fig. 1). Although phan- tomheadsystemsarenowthemain- stay for undergraduate training, educationalists are becoming more aware of the additional benefits of Fig. 1. A sketch of an early phantom head simulator. cad/cam ByNazHaque,UK At the heart of the relationship be- tween a dentist and a patient lies trust and respect. Recent events, such as the Sony or, more currently, the Ashley Madison breach, have brought to public awareness the im- portanceofsecuringone’sdata. Data security and governance is a very tricky area. I must make it clear I am not a lawyer, but I am a highly experienced information technology professional with a good understanding of data protection and other relevant legislation. All in- terpretations provided here are my own. Even if a dental practice has not embraced the digital age and all re- cords and correspondence are ink andpaperbased,thepracticestillhas a number of responsibilities regard- ing data security. As dental practices collect patient details, they must register with the Information Com- missioner’s Office (ICO) here in the UK. Dental records must be stored safely and securely for a number of years(uptosixyearsfortheNational Health Service; NHS) and kept for a maximum of 30 years (Department of Health). Records must also be disposed of in a policed manner to avoidfines. What about dental practices who have embraced digital? Data is accessed in two situations, storage and movement, the same as physi- cal records are. This also means that there are the two situations in which data can be compromised in the digital world. Dental practices have an obligation to ensure patient data is backed up, recoverable (in case of disasters), secure and protected. This applies during both storage and movement. If you are using one of the popular industry patient man- agement systems, such as EXACT (Software of Excellence), it should have features to support this in place; liaise with your account man- agertoverifythis. The next area of concern then is movement of data. This can be via e- mail, online referral tools or portals, feedback platforms or devices, and your website. E-mail is not a secure medium, and communication with patients about their medical history or medical circumstances using this platform raises potential issues. The service provider you use for your e-mail could also be inadvertently making you breach data security rules. For example, if you are using one of the popular US-based organi- sations for e-mail, such as AOL, Hot- mail and Gmail, and liaise with your patientsviathise-mailplatform,you have to consider where the e-mails are being stored; most likely on serv- ersoutsideyourowncountry. The UK’s Data Protection Act statesthat“personaldatashallnotbe transferred to a country or territory outsidetheEEA(EuropeanEconomic Area) unless that country or ter- ritory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and free- doms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.” As a dental practice, you should recon- Naz Haque, aka „The Scientist“, is Opera- tions Manager at Dental Focus. He has a background in mobile and network com- puting, and has experience supporting a wide range of blue-chip brands, from Ap- pletoXerox.Asanexpertinsearchengine optimisation, Naz is passionate about helping clients develop strategies to en- hance theirbrandandincrease thereturn on investment from their dental practice websites. He can be contacted at naz@ dentalfocus.com. sider if you are using a commercial e-mail provider to liaise with your patients, and determine whether your website communication tools and feedback portals are compliant and if not ensure your designated data policy controller addresses this as a priority. Here in the UK, the ICO can issue monetary penalty notices, requiring organisations to pay up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the DPA occurring on or after 6 April 2010. Clients at Dental Focus expect us to take care of online compliance and provide guidance on keeping up to date and resolving these issues. Make sure your data is secured and protectedbeforeitistoolate. This article was published in CAD/ CAM International Magazine No.4, 2015 ÿPage32 Datasecurity:Hownottobecome thenextAshleyMadison Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 3/201631