Outline
Virtual reality simulators provide a way of modeling how things happen in order to practice, control, and learn without wasting valuable resources. The dental simulator will provide information about how a real tooth looks and feels. The simulator will enable dentists-in-training to practice on the computer before moving onto real patients. Using three-dimensional graphics and a force feedback device, a learning tool will be developed that models a real dental environment.

The Problem
The most significant problem for the dental school is that after two years of training, dental students are required to start practicing on people. The problem is finding people who are willing to let unexperienced students probe at their teeth. What dental students need is a better way to practice and learn the necessary skills. One way students can practice before using live subjects is to use fake teeth. The problem here is that the fake teeth don't feel quite like the real thing and each set of teeth that goes to training significantly increases supply costs.

Fake teeth: currently used in dental training

The virtual reality dental simulator with force feedback information provides a way for students to practice as much as possible to develop the skill of feeling the teeth before moving on to live subjects.

Live subject: needed by dental students for practice

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0223006. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).