Abstract
Dr. Cheuk Kwan Charlotte Chan, Research Assistant, Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, HKU
Introduction
As dental students experience significant stress during the transition from pre-clinical to clinical practice, particularly in mastering technical and patient management skills, innovative educational approaches are essential. This study explores the efficacy of a non-immersive desktop virtual reality (VR) platform developed for training undergraduate dental students, covering key clinical skills in paediatric dentistry.
Methods
The VR scenes captured a typical paediatric clinical workflow from history taking, patient examination, treatment planning and operative procedures (local anaesthesia, rubber dam placement, pulpotomy). Interactive multiple-choice clinical decision-making questions were also embedded in the platform. A mixed-methods analysis involving questionnaires and focus group interviews was conducted with fourth-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery students who had only undergone a pre-clinical didactic course and were yet to start their clinical paediatric training. Qualitative themes were analysed with an inductive-deductive approach.
Results
Eighty-seven percent of the cohort (68 students) responded to the questionnaire, and 25 students participated in six focus group interviews. Seventy-eight percent of students enjoyed using the VR platform for learning, and over 80% felt that it had prepared them for entering the paediatric clinic. Over 75% of students felt more confident in performing the procedures shown in the platform. Key themes from the qualitative analysis included the strengths, limitations, improvements and challenges in developing VR for dental education. Students highlighted the platform’s potential in autonomous learning, improving patient management, and familiarizing students with clinical environments, while also identifying contextual, conceptual and technical limitations.
Conclusion
This study underscores the potential of VR in dental education, advocating for a balanced approach that integrates traditional methods with innovative technologies to enhance students’ learning experience. Future research should explore the long-term impact of VR training and investigate the integration of haptic technology to further improve the learning experience.