Studying dentistry: Virtual reality instead of textbooks

Although dental illustrations in textbooks are helpful, they have their limits due to their 2D format. At the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), students can immerse themselves in the world of dentistry during their studies thanks to virtual reality.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) recently introduced VR for its students to make learning more experiential and tangible. Instead of the fixed top view in textbooks, first-year students can use 3D technology to zoom through the virtual mouth at will. This allows them to view the dental anatomy from a close-up that not even a practising dentist can achieve.

The 3D Tooth Atlas was developed by the US company eHuman. The learning tool contains 550 different tooth models and therefore covers a wide range of different pathologies of potential patients. The tooth models can be moved in any conceivable direction, and outer layers can also be removed.

For the actual implementation, students only need their smartphone and a simple pair of cardboard goggles. The software is controlled by the lecturer.

Source: zwp-online