A Finnish study led by the University of Eastern Finland surveyed 156 institutions across 53 countries to gauge how dental educators use virtual reality (VR) in training and what’s holding it back. Published in Frontiers in Dental Medicine, the study collected 378 responses, with 57% of respondents holding dental doctorates and 59% holding PhDs.
So far, incorporating VR in dental education is on the rise. Last year, for example, NYU made headlines when it announced that it began using VR to help dental students practice anesthesia to beat their anxiety.
Here’s what stood out from the Finish global survey:
1. Preclinical training dominates VR use
- 94% of institutions use VR-haptic trainers in preclinical training, versus just 46% in clinical training.
- Top courses: Restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, and endodontics.
- Only 3% use VR for interprofessional education, signaling untapped potential.
2. Most use VR as a supplementary tool
- 37% of educators use VR only as a supportive tool, not a replacement.
- Just 4% use it for specific purposes, like manual dexterity testing or exclusive training.
For related articles, read: Development of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Application for Dental Education
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3. What educators want improved
- More diverse training scenarios (20%).
- Better software (19%) and hardware (19%).
- AI-driven personalized training (18%).
- Gamification features (10%).
4. Big hurdles: Tech gaps and costs
- 35% cited VR’s limited capabilities—like unreliable skill transfer to real patients.
- 28% highlighted high costs for acquisition, maintenance, and space.
- 24% reported low acceptance among faculty and students.
5. Resistance to new tech
- 35% flagged lack of technical proficiency as a barrier.
- 13% said curriculum adaptation time is prohibitive.