Dental Training
Augmented reality is being used to create advanced simulation training programs for all types of medical procedures, and the field of dentistry is ideally suited for the immersive and interactive capabilities of this 3D interface. By using a camera viewpoint as the interface for computer information, a user can access interactive tools that respond to a real-world environment in a number of different ways. 3D modeling can alter the environment, introduce avatars, provide 3D modeled
tools and equipment, and more. Text can be introduced directly into a viewpoint and associated with virtual and actual elements in the scene. Audio prompts and directional arrows can guide users through a set of closely observed steps to evaluate proficiency, and a set of sessions can add up to a curriculum and training procedure that can be evaluated for certification and integration into medical education programs.
Need
Dentistry is a highly focused procedure that requires great skill. The risks of inadequate training and faulty performance are very high. Virtual medical simulation programs for dentistry provide an ideal way to develop a trainee's skill in a risk-free environment, where ideas and procedures can be tested without pain for or injury to a patient. An online program opens the potential for high quality training to a much broader pool of trainees, and provides a widely accepted standard of dental treatment throughout the country.
Benefit
Better training tools with no risk adds up to a dramatic advantage for the dental profession, one with the potential to raise the standard of treatment and to reach a much wider group of people seeking professional training. In areas where dentists are in short supply, this program would be able to give more people in any area the opportunity to serve their community and to provide valuable services in areas where it's needed the most. Augmented reality is a cost-effective and highly adaptable method to accomplish this important goal.
Concept
A student would access the augmented reality application on their mobile device. Using the camera as their interface, the environment can be altered to simulate a dental office. The trainee uses a model of teeth and real tools, and looks at the teeth through the augmented reality app interface. Issues like cavities, receding gums, gingivitis, and the like are simulated, and the dentist uses their tools to manipulate the simulated tissue changes and make an accurate diagnosis. Students can use needles and drills to treat simulated cavities, and apply virtual fillings using real tools on the model teeth, with the filling effect observed through the augmented reality interface. They can also practice pulling teeth in the proper manner and adding cotten gauze to control bleeding, with simulated blood giving them a feel for how fast they should apply the gauze upon removal of a tooth. After students have completed all of the training sessions to the desired level of proficiency, certifications and credits can be acquired and folded into a larger dental curriculum.
DDA is an award-winning developer of custom mobile software apps, and we have been helping our clients achieve their goals with all types of experiential marketing, from virtual games, multimedia presentations, and VMS applications for the medical and healthcare industry. We created our first Augmented Reality project in 2009 and with the advent of Apple's ARKit and Android's ARCore AR platforms, the time for AR development has never been more promising. Our studio, located just outside of Philadelphia, is equipped with all of the most advanced technology, including a soundstage, a sound booth, and a multimedia production suite, and our team of experienced professionals can address any software challenge. Whether it involves extensive database management, 3D computer modeling and animation, graphic design and multimedia, and any type of custom software programming and design, we have the capability to do it all in-house, making the process easy to understand and cost effective for our clients. If you would like to hear more about how Augmented Reality is about to transform the way dentists are trained, or if you have another Augmented Reality project you would us to develop for you, let's arrange a time to discuss it in detail.
