Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15644/asc59/4/8
Virtual Reality in U.S. Dental Education: A Cross-Sectional Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions
Janki Shingala
; Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Massachusetts, SAD
Klara Dešković
; Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Massachusetts, SAD
Vidya Ramaswamy
; University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Shruti Jain
; Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Massachusetts, SAD
Irina F. Dragan
; Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Massachusetts, SAD; Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Maja Sabalić-Schoener
orcid.org/0000-0001-5356-5273
; ADA Forsyth Institute, Somerville, MA, USA
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to understand perceptions of faculty and student representatives on existing virtual reality (VR) technologies that are being integrated into U.S. dental school curriculum. Methods: Two validated (face and content) instruments were used for this cross-sectional study. National representatives (68 students and 68 Academic Deans) from U.S. dental schools were invited to participate in the Qualtrics surveys. The surveys were segmented into four parts: general information, knowledge about VR, institutional experience with VR, perception of VR’s importance. Results: Faculty and student representatives from 30 dental schools (44%) participated in the study. Students and faculty unanimously agreed that VR technology should be integrated in the dental school curriculum. Some faculty with prior VR exposure perceived the greatest advantage of VR to be standardization and objectivity (55%, n=12). Students agreed with the faculty regarding the
advantages of VR, but found the repeatability to be of greater importance (63%, n=5). The greatest
limitation mentioned by faculty was cost, while students mentioned other limitations. Conclusion:
The current study highlighted the differences and similarities in the faculty and students’ perspective on the current use of VR in dentistry. The findings indicate that VR offers meaningful advantages for curricular integration, particularly by enabling standardized, objective assessment of learner performance and repeatable skill practice under controlled conditions. In the future, a mixed-methods study design is recommended to investigate further and to confirm the current findings.
Keywords
Virtual reality; Simulation Training; Dental education; Dental simulator; Curriculum; Technology
Hrčak ID:
341919
URI
Publication date:
26.12.2025.
Visits: 636 *