Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2018-02-22, 14:25:50 | version 1.38.0
Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 3/2016 32 cad/cam Science in Every Smile INVISALIGN® PATIENTS LOVE IT! 3.4 million treated patients 15 years of research and development Continuous innovation The leading clear aligner therapy For more information visit www.invisaligngcc.com Fig.2.TheSimodont DentalTrainer(Moog)hapticVRsimulator. 3DGlasses Displayscreen Foot pedal Viewingscreen Dental handpiece input device ◊Page31 Fig.3.Animageofacut toothfrom theSimodont hapticVRsimulator. VR simulation, such as the ability to repeat the same task many times, providingreal-timefeedbackleading to a reduction in supervision, and the benefits of students being able to practise in their free time with- out laboratory supervisors. Other benefits of VR simulators include the reduction of consumable costs incurred with plastic teeth and the elimination of water system man- agement issues, reducing the possi- bility of water-borne infections such asLegionella. Undoubtedly, the initial cost of the VR simulators is a major deterrent and, with additional concerns re- garding possible lack of realism to theclinicalsituation,itisnaturalthat many suggest the need for more ev- idence-based research prior to com- mittingtosuchaninvestment. InthelimitedliteratureonVRdental simulation,studieshavebeenmixed but, in general, are positive about the use of the technology for dental training. Research has shown that procedural learning on VR simulators may be more effective than with the tradi- tional phantom head and may re- duce the number of staff—student interactions without a reduction in thequalityofthepracticalwork. Incontrast,otherresearchhasshown that dental performance may be no better using VR simulation and that some students prefer their training to be on phantom heads. Naturally, further research will be needed to establish the effectiveness of the technology. What arehaptics? The addition of haptics to VR tech- nology creates a dimension of sen- sory feedback for the user. The word itself originates from the Greek work haptikos, which means “to touch or grasp”. There are many examples of haptic simulation in modern-day technology, such as in gaming and the vibration component of a mo- bile phone. The aim of haptics in many cases, and especially simula- tion, is to improve the realism of the virtual experience. In dentistry, for example, when carrying out a cavity preparation on a haptic VR simula- tor, there is a difference in hardness felt when cutting from enamel to dentine, and if the pulp is damaged an instant loss of resistance occurs, producing a realistic sensation of drilling through the roof of the pulp chamber(Figs.2&3). Naturally, the important question is, does the addition of haptic technol- ogy really make a difference when learningusingVRsimulation?Toan- swerthis,wehavetodelveintosurgi- cal research for which a stronger evi- dence base exists, specifically in the area of laparoscopy. A review of the use of haptics in surgery suggested that the addition of haptics to simu- lation can reduce surgical errors and is especially beneficial in the early DrSusanBridges isanassociate professorat theFacultyof Educationat the UniversityofHong KonginChina.She canbecontacted at sbridges@ hku.hk SuzannePerry isaPhDcandidate at theFacultyof Educationat the UniversityofHong Kong.Shecan becontactedat subygee@yahoo. co.uk Prof.Michael BurrowisProfes- sorandChairof Biomaterialsat theMelbourne DentalSchoolat theUniversity ofMelbournein Australia.Hecan becontacted at mfburrow@ unimelb.edu.au stagesoflearninganewskilltask.1 Other studies have shown that the addition of haptics may improve overall performance of surgical skills andmaybebeneficialwhenatrainee is first exposed to a clinical situation. In dentistry, small-scale studies of haptic VR simulators suggest that they are at least as good as phantom headsintrainingundergraduates. The future of VR simulation indentistry Currently, exciting research involv- ing the universities of Hong Kong and Melbourne is looking into gain- ing solid evidence concerning the use of haptic VR simulation in the dental undergraduate curriculum. By utilising neuroimaging tech- niques, identification of the traits an expert usually displays can occur, which in turn can be built into train- ing pathways to enhance the effec- tivenessofprocedurallearning. Initial findings have suggested that distinct differencesmaybeapparent in the brains of dental experts and novices during a simulated clinical task when using a dental haptic VR simulator. Further work in this area is to be carried out, with additional investigation into the positioning of haptic VR simulation within a cur- riculum and considering its effec- tiveness compared with traditional phantomheadtrainingtechniques. Alreadyitcanbeseenthattheareaof VR in dentistry and especially that of haptic VR simulation is proving an interesting development, offering encouragingprospectsforthefuture skills-based training of dentists. The evidence is limited, however, so, pri- or to commending this technology as the mainstay of training in dental undergraduate curricula, there is a compelling need to expand the cur- rentresearchbase. This article was published in CAD/ CAM International Magazine No.2, 2015 ByDTI HONG KONG, China: Investigating patients’knowledgeandperceptions regarding implant therapy, a Chi- nese study has found that an alarm- ingnumberof participants hadinac- curate and unrealistic expectations about dental implants. Moreover, the study determined that only 18 per cent felt confident about the in- formation they had about the treat- ment. In the study, the researchers investigated preoperative informa- tion levels, perceptions and expecta- tions regarding implant therapy via a questionnaire. Responses from 277 patients were obtained during 2014 and 2015 in three different locations in China (Hong Kong, Sichuan and Jiangsu). The analyses established that about one-third of the participants had mistaken assumptions about dental implants. According to the re- searchers, common misconceptions were that dental implants require less care than natural dentition, im- plant treatment is appropriate for all patients with missing teeth, dental implants last longer than natural dentition, and there are no risks or complications with implant treat- ment. Overall, younger respondents (< 45) and those with higher education (bachelor’s and postgraduate de- grees) tended to have more realistic perceptions and lower expectations ofthetreatmentoutcome. When asked about their level of knowledge,63percentofthepartici- pants said that they were generally informed about implants, but only 18 per cent felt confident about the informationtheyhad. The study, titled “What do pa- tients expect from treatment with dental implants? Perceptions, ex- pectations and misconceptions: A multicenter study”, was published online ahead of print on 23 March in the Clinical Oral Implants Research journal. Studyfindsfundamen- talmisconceptions aboutdentalimplants amongpatients