Abstract:

Our university school aimed to improve its training capacities within the university degree of Dentistry in terms of the acquisition of the students’ competences and training as well as the practical development of their knowledge for the treatment of different oral pathologies. This made us explore the use of new experimentation ways and this goes hand in hand with the use of 3D simulators with haptic technology. Our objective is to analyze the perception about the use of simulation systems and the development of their use for the different courses of the Degree in Dentistry in our university school. The hypothesis is the use of a 3D haptic simulation system within the dental degree curriculum and may be of interest to help improve the preparation of our students. The opinions about haptic simulation systems of different interest groups related to our university school were evaluated, among which there were students, teachers, dentists, stakeholders. Interviews and performance of test, demonstration exercises and their impressions were collected qualitatively and quantitatively through a survey in which approximately 250 people participated. The comparison of opinions led us to consider that within a high degree of use of computer technology, there was an average use of digital flows in clinical practice and a partial ignorance of what 3D haptic technology before the trials and tests. The results related to their satisfaction and comparison with the reality measured corresponds to the result of the assessment of different interest groups involved in teaching of the degree of Dentistry. The interviews and the surveys carried out confirmed a high degree of user satisfaction and the conviction that it is a good tool. Finally, the choice of 3D simulators seems to be a good option to solve some deficiencies that have existed so far in teaching in the degree of dentistry. This is due to the great similarity that the use of these 3D simulators with haptic technology has with real practice and the unlimited practices possibility that it offers, having a high degree of satisfaction from the different interest groups that were tested.

Keywords:

Oral pathologies, Virtual reality, medical education, simulation, innovation, ludic activities, training recreational, health supervision, artificial intelligen