Visuo-Haptic VR and AR Guidance for Dental Nerve Block Education.

The inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) is a dental anesthetic injection that is critical to the performance of many dental procedures. Dental students typically learn to administer an IANB through videos and practice on silicone molds and, in many dental schools, on other students. This causes significant stress for both the students and their early patients. To reduce discomfort and improve clinical outcomes, we created an anatomically informed virtual reality headset-based educational system for the IANB. It combines a layered 3D anatomical model, dynamic visual guidance for syringe position and orientation, and active force feedback to emulate syringe interaction with tissue. A companion mobile augmented reality application allows students to step through a visualization of the procedure on a phone or tablet. We conducted a user study to determine the advantages of preclinical training with our IANB simulator. We found that in comparison to dental students who were exposed only to traditional supplementary study materials, dental students who used our IANB simulator were more confident administering their first clinical injections, had less need for syringe readjustments, and had greater success in numbing patients.

Advancing the educational training of dental educators: review of a model program.

Very few dental educators have formal pedagogical training, and the availability of degree-granting programs for dental educators is very limited. A joint D.D.S.-M.A. program for predoctoral students and a Ph.D. program for faculty members have been established at Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine in conjunction with the Graduate School of Education, Teachers College. Six students have completed the joint degree program, five are currently enrolled, and an additional three have taken courses at Teachers College without pursuing a degree. One faculty member has completed the Ph.D. program, and one is enrolled. This article describes the details of both programs and discusses preliminary outcomes. The model described here may serve as an example for other dental schools that may choose to implement degree programs in education for dental educators.