Haptic and Force Feedback Technology in Dental Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Impact of haptic simulators in preclinical dental education: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Haptic technologies have opened a new avenue in preclinical dental education, with evidence that they can be used to improve student performance. The aim of this systematic review was to (1) determine the effect of haptic simulators on motor skill acquisition during preclinical dental training, (2) explore students' perception, and (3) explore the ability of haptic systems to distinguish users based on their initial level of manual dexterity.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of articles published up to February 2023 was performed using five databases (i.e., PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) and specialized journals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 2020 guidelines were followed, and the risk of bias was assessed. Only studies on the application of haptic simulators in dentistry preclinical training were included. Qualitative synthesis of data was performed, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID = CRD42022337177).

RESULTS

Twenty-three clinical studies, including 1303 participants, were included. The authors observed a statistically significant improvement in dental students' motor skills in various dental specialties, such as restorative dentistry, pediatric, prosthodontics, periodontics, implantology, and dental surgery, after haptic training. Haptic technologies were perceived well by all participants, with encouraging data regarding their ability to differentiate users according to their initial level of manual dexterity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work suggests that haptic simulators can significantly improve motor skill acquisition in preclinical dental training. This new digital technology, which was well perceived by the participants, also showed encouraging results in discriminating users according to their level of experience.

Effectiveness of haptic feedback devices in preclinical training of dental students-a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Acquisition of psychomotor skills is of utmost importance for competent preclinical restorative dentistry. Recent advancements in haptic feedback technology have been incorporated into preclinical dental education to augment the conventional phantom head-based training.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of haptic feedback device, Simodont, in improving the skill development and learning outcomes of dental students during their preclinical training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed were searched for relevant studies since inception up until March, 2023. Only English language studies that assessed the effectiveness of haptic feedback devices in preclinical dental education were included. We excluded studies that did not use Simodont as the haptic feedback device or did not involve preclinical restorative work. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool and ROBINS-I. The primary goal of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Simodont as a complementary training modality for dentistry students.

RESULTS

Results from 9 high-quality studies were analyzed and synthesized to evaluate the overall impact of haptic feedback devices on various aspects of preclinical training. The studies were conducted on 826 undergraduate dental students enrolled in various years of their training across dental colleges and universities in different parts of the world. A majority of studies showed some concerns regarding risk of bias. Haptic feedback devices added a new layer to Virtual Reality (VR) through the perception of touch and force feedback. It assisted junior dental students improve their psychomotor skills and movement skills. Instantaneous feedback on the students' performance helped enhance their self-assessment and correction, and also eliminated the subjectivity of evaluation. Data derived from virtual simulators helped stratify dental students and predict their clinical performance, providing an opportunity to tailor the learning process to meet individual diversity in students' expertise.

CONCLUSION

Based on the limited evidence available, Simodont was effective in preclinical training of dental students, offering advantages such as unlimited reproducibility, objective evaluation of preparation by computer assessment, and cost reduction. And further studies are warranted to explore the incorporation of patient's oral environment simulation for better skill training.

Perceptions of Online Learning Implementation in Dental Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Dental School Faculty Members in Southeast Asia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the perceptions of faculty members from dental schools in Southeast Asian countries regarding the implementation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A previously implemented questionnaire comprising 43 questions was utilized in this study. Lecturers from four universities in Southeast Asia were invited to participate in the study.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 through several types of comparative and correlation analyses.

RESULTS

There were 183 lecturers who participated in the study. The overall responses suggest that the perceived effectiveness of online learning in dentistry was centered on a neutral value. The participants faced challenges when implementing online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the lack of interaction being the most challenging factor. They agreed that online learning had many advantages, specifically in time flexibility and communication. The participants had stronger perceptions relating the advantages and opportunities of online teaching, and recognized that the effectiveness of offline teaching alone was limited.

CONCLUSION

The perceptions of Southeast Asian dental school faculty members were inclined toward a positive outlook on blended learning for implementation in dentistry, as a means of providing opportunities to use online learning beyond COVID-19 in the future.