Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Dentistry: A Review Study

Background and aims: Virtual reality is a virtual ۳D environment that is created from scenesclose to reality and allows the user to interact with it. Augmented reality adds virtual data to thereal world to create a better user experience. Due to the sensitivity of the anatomical areas of thehead and neck and the increasing skill of dentists, the use of these two technologies is vital. Thepurpose of this review is to examine the opportunities and challenges related to virtual reality andaugmented reality in dental science.Method: This research is a review study based on the PRISMA ۲۰۱۵ guidelines and advancedsearch in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engines. Articles withkeywords Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Dentistry from ۲۰۱۳ to February ۲۰۲۳ wereevaluated. After the initial search, two stages of screening took place; First, the title and abstractof the articles were examined in terms of relevance to the study objectives, and then the restrictionof the English language and access to the full text was applied. Also, to ensure the completenessof the search results, the sources of the entered articles were also checked. The articles related tothe research were evaluated with the JBI tool.Results: Studies have shown that virtual reality and augmented reality increase the quality ofstudents’ learning during the pre-clinical training course and make complex and abstract conceptsunderstandable to the audience. Tactile feedback is used in virtual reality to improve manual dexterityand improve clinical training. In addition, they can be used to reduce the fear of dentistryand increase the pain tolerance of patients. Virtual reality and augmented reality increase theaccuracy of implant placement and intraoperative navigation in orthognathic surgery. The overallnumber of included studies was small and currently, scientifically proven recommendations forclinical protocols cannot be made; But studies show that virtual reality and augmented reality arevaluable educational tools that can enhance current traditional educational methods.Conclusion: Virtual reality and augmented reality cause better visualization, reduction of operationtime, and better consultation with the patient. These two technologies are considered usefultools for the intelligent education of dental students; They can also lead to safe and predictableoutcomes for treatments and increase the quality of patient care. Future research should focuson establishing standards with high-quality data and developing validated applications for use inclinical dental practice.

کلیدواژه ها:

Dentistry ، Virtual Reality ، Augmented Reality