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INTRODUCTION: Virtual reality-based interactive simulation (VRIS) provides a safe and controlled environment for dental students and professionals to develop skills and knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using the VRIS for prosthodontic practice and to explore the trends, application areas, and users' attitudes towards VRIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for searching studies published until 21 March 2023 that reported quantitative or qualitative learning outcomes related to the use of VRIS for dental prosthodontic practice and clinical training. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale-Education (NOS-E) tools. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to compare the intervention group (utilizing VRIS) and the control group (employing conventional prosthodontic training methods) based on performance skill scores and task completion time, with a significance level set at <.05. RESULTS: The meta-analysis revealed that the utilization of VRIS generally improves students' performance scores (SMD = 1.04; 95% CI, -0.35 to 2.44; I2 > 50%; p = .13) and reduces task completion time (SMD = -0.03; 95% CI, 1.39-7.72; I2 > 50%; p = .93). Notably, using VRIS significantly enhanced the performance scores in implant surgery practice (SMD = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09-0.42; p < .05). Additionally, the VRIS method significantly reduced task completion time in the cavity restorative preparation task (SMD = -1.19; 95% CI, -1.85 to -0.53; p < .05). CONCLUSION: Engaging in practice with VRIS has the potential to enhance learning proficiency in prosthodontic education. The advantages associated with VRIS encompass the provision of immediate feedback, decreased task completion time, heightened confidence and motivation, accelerated skill acquisition, improved performance scores, and increased learning engagement.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the reliability of various reference areas for digital alignment between three-dimensional (3D) resting and smiling facial models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D posed and natural smiling faces of 33 adults were registered to the respective neutral faces, using six matching strategies with different reference matching surfaces: nose (N), nose + central forehead (NFc), nose + whole forehead (NFw), nose + chin (NC), nose + central forehead + chin (NFcC), and nose + whole forehead + chin (NFwC). The positional discrepancies of the registered images were measured at the left and right pupil centers. RESULTS: Two-way ANOVA and post hoc multiple pairwise t-test with Bonferroni correction (α = .05) were used to evaluate the measurements. As a result, the use of larger reference areas increases the trueness of image matching; whereas, there was no statistically significant difference between the matching strategies within the same smiling type. Meanwhile, the image registration of posed smiles resulted in fewer positional disparities than the natural smiles with significant differences observed for the registration using the NC and NFcC surface-based matching areas at the right pupil (P = .030 and .026, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggested that the reference surface areas and smiling types have some impacts on the accuracy of 3D smiling facial image alignments. Large and evenly distributed matching surfaces are recommended for posed smiles; whereas caution should be taken when using the chin area as a reference surface for matching natural smile facial images. Int J Prosthodont 2023. doi: 10.11607/ijp.8364.
