Dijital Teknolojilerin Diş Hekimliği Eğitimine Entegrasyonu: Avantajlar, Zorluklar ve Gelecek Perspektifi

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 61 - 70, 29.08.2025

Özer İşisağ

https://doi.org/10.21306/dishekimligi.1603937

Abstract

Diş hekimliği eğitimi, öğrencilere teorik bilgi, teknik beceriler ve hasta yönetimi yetenekleri kazandıran kapsamlı bir süreçtir. Temel öğrenim ile başlayan bu süreç, laboratuvar ortamında simülasyonlu eğitimle devam eder ve gerçek hasta uygulamalarıyla tamamlanır. Sanal gerçeklik ve dokunsal araçlar gibi dijital teknolojilerin entegrasyonu, öğrencilerin sanal ortamda uygulama yapmalarını ve simülatörler aracılığıyla anlık geri bildirim almalarını sağlayarak eğitimi daha etkili ve erişilebilir hale getirir. Dijital teknolojiler, öğrencilerin eğitimlerini kişiselleştirmelerine ve her an bilgiye erişim sağlamalarına olanak tanıyarak esnek öğrenmeyi destekler. Sanal gerçeklik simülatörleri diş hekimliğinin birçok alanında klinik becerileri geliştirirken, bilgisayar destekli tasarım ve bilgisayar desteli üretim (CAD/CAM) teknolojileri ise modern dental restorasyon alanında yetkinliği artırır. Bununla birlikte, finansal kısıtlamalar, nitelikli eğitmen eksikliği, teknik desteğe duyulan ihtiyaç ve öğrencilerin adaptasyon süreci gibi zorluklar devam etmektedir. Bu sorunların çözülmesi, erişilebilir ve iyi donanımlı eğitim ortamları gerektirir. Sonuç olarak, dijital teknolojilerin diş hekimliği eğitimindeki uzun vadeli etkisinin değerlendirilmesi, gelecekteki diş hekimlerinin klinik başarılarının artırılması için büyük önem taşımaktadır.

Keywords

Dijital diş hekimliği , Eğitim , Sanal gerçeklik

Integration of Digital Technologies into Dental Education: Advantages, Challenges and Future Perspective

Abstract

Dental education is a comprehensive process that equips students with theoretical knowledge, technical skills, and patient management abilities. It starts with foundational learning, followed by simulated training in a laboratory setting, and culminates in real patient practice. Incorporating digital technologies, such as virtual reality and haptic tools, enhances training by allowing students to practice in a virtual environment and receive instant feedback through simulators. This makes education more effective and accessible in both preclinical and clinical phases. Digital technologies enable students to customize their education and access information anytime, promoting flexible learning. Virtual reality simulators enhance clinical skills across dental fields, while computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies improve proficiency in modern dental restoration. However, challenges remain, including financial constraints, a lack of qualified instructors, the need for technical support, and student adaptation. Addressing these issues requires accessible and well-equipped educational environments. Ultimately, evaluating the long-term impact of digital technologies in dental education is essential for enhancing the clinical success of future dentists.

Keywords

Digital dentistry , Education , Virtual reality

References

• 1. Dzyuba N, Jandu J, Yates J, Kushnerev E. Virtual and augmented reality in dental education: The good, the bad and the better. Eur J Dent Educ. 2022;29:497-515.
• 2. Rodrigues P, Esteves A, Botelho J, et al. Usability, acceptance, and educational usefulness study of a new haptic operative dentistry virtual reality simulator. Comput. Methods Programs Biomed. 2022;221:106831.
• 3. Henzi D, Davis E, Jasinevicius R, Hendricson W. North American dental students’ perspectives about their clinical education. J Dent Educ. 2006;70: 361– 377.
• 4. Zafar S, Lai Y, Sexton C, Siddiqi A. Virtual reality as a novel educational tool in pre-clinical paediatric dentistry training: students’ perceptions. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2020;30:791–797.
• 5. de Azevedo R de A, da Rosa WL de O, da Silva AF, Correa MB, Torriani MA, Lund RG. Comparative effectiveness of dental anatomy carving pedagogy: a systematic review. J Dent Educ. 2015; 79:914–921.
• 6. Zitzmann NU, Matthisson L, Ohla H, Joda T. Digital undergraduate education in dentistry: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:3269.
• 7. Gönülol N, Kalyoncuoglu E. Education and learning in digital dentistry. J Exp Clin Med. 2021;38:163-167.
• 8. Tripathi S, Manoharan PS, Nagda S. Developing an instructional module of ‘digital dentistry’ for undergraduate prosthodontics curriculum. J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2024;14:44–48.
• 9. Huang Y, Huang S, Liu Y, Lin Z, Hong Y, Li X. Application of virtual reality and haptics system Simodont in Chinese dental education: a scoping review. Eur J Dent Educ. 2025;29:585-593.
• 10. Moussa R, Alghazaly A, Althagafi N, Eshky R, Borzangy S. Effectiveness of virtual reality and interactive simulators on dental education outcomes: systematic review. Eur J Dent. 2022;16:14–31.
• 11. Schlenz MA, Michel K, Wegner K, Schmidt A, Rehmann P, Wöstmann B. Undergraduate dental students’ perspective on the implementation of digital dentistry in the preclinical curriculum: a questionnaire survey. BMC Oral Health. 2020;20:78.
• 12. Carpegna G, Scotti N, Alovisi M, Comba A, Berutti E, Pasqualini D. Endodontic microsurgery virtual reality simulation and digital workflow process in a teaching environment. Eur J Dent Educ. 2025;29:479-485.
• 13. Kanwal L, Gulzar M, Idrees W, Ikram F, Sukhia RH, Fida M. The application of virtual reality and augmented reality in dentistry – a literature review. J Pak Med Assoc. 2024;74:126–131.
• 14. Chen Y, Liu L, Qiu S, Hu C, Wang L, Li Y, et al. Application of real-time augmented reality-guided osteotomy and apex location in endodontic microsurgery: a surgical simulation study based on 3Dprinted alveolar bone model. J Endod 2023;49:880–888.
• 15. Slaidina A, Ozolins K, Berzina S, Abeltins A. Patient-specific virtual simulation in the clinical training for prosthetic dentistry. Eur J Dent Educ. 2023;29:561- 569.
• 16. Lim E-J, Kim Y-S, Im J-E, Lee J-G. Mobile educational tool based on augmented reality technology for tooth carving: results of a prospective cohort study. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23:462.
• 17. Huang TK, Yang CH, Hsieh YH, Wang JC, Hung CC. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applied in dentistry. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2018;34:243- 248.
• 18. Serrano CM, Wesselink PR, Vervoorn JM. First experiences with patient-centered training in virtual reality. J Dent Educ. 2020;84:607–614.
• 19. Towers A, Dixon J, Field J, Martin R, Martin N. Combining virtual reality and 3D-printed models to simulate patient-specific dental operative procedures – a study exploring student perceptions. Eur J Dent Educ. 2022;26:393-403.
• 20. Li Y, Ye H, Ye F, Liu Y, Lv L, Zhang P, et al. The current situation and future prospects of simulators in dental education. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23:e23635.
• 21. García-Robles P, Cortés-Pérez I, Nieto-Escámez FA, García-López H, Obrero-Gaitán E, Osuna-Pérez MC. Immersive virtual reality and augmented reality in anatomy education: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Anat Sci Educ. 2024;17:514–528.
• 22. Qutieshat AS, Abusamak MO, Maragha TN. Impact of blended learning on dental students’ performance and satisfaction in clinical education. J Dent Educ. 2020;84:135–142.
• 23. Jackson TH, Zhong J, Phillips C, Koroluk LD. Self-directed digital learning: when do dental students study? J Dent Educ. 2018;82:373–378.
• 24. Cortes ARG (ed.). Digital Dentistry: A Step-byStep Guide and Case Atlas. Wiley-Blackwell, 2022.
• 25. Tarraf NE, Ali DM. Present and the future of digital orthodontics. Semin Orthod. 2018;24:376– 385.
• 26. Allareddy V, Atsawasuwan P, Frazier-Bowers S, Hong C, Huja S, Katebi N, et al. Orthodontic educational landscape in the contemporary context: insights from educators. Semin Orthod. 2024;30: 369–378.
• 27. Preshaw PM, Ramseier CA, Loos BG, Balčiūnaitė A, Crnić T, Davey K, et al. Contemporary educational methods in periodontology. J Clin Periodontol. 2024;51:1–76.
• 28. Berrendero S, Hriptulova O, Salido MP, Martínez-Rus F, Pradíes G. Comparative study of conventional anesthesia technique versus computerized system anesthesia: a randomized clinical trial. Clin Oral Investig. 2021;25:2307-2315.
• 29. Khan MK. Modern digital pediatric dentistry with the advent of intraoral sensors, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, and threedimensional printing technologies. J Dent Res Rev. 2022;9:195–201.
• 30. Putra RH, Doi C, Yoda N, Astuti ER, Sasaki K. Current applications and development of artificial intelligence for digital dental radiography. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2022;51:20210197.
• 31. Ghaffari M, Zhu Y, Shrestha A. A review of advancements of artificial intelligence in dentistry. Dent Rev. 2024;4:1-13.
• 32. Cabrera BCC, Leal MC, Martínez JASA, et al. Artificial intelligence (AI) and learning management systems (LMS): a bibliometric analysis. J Infrastruct Policy Dev. 2025;9 8029.
• 33. Oudat Q, Othman M. Embracing digital learning: benefits and challenges of using Canvas in education. J Nurs Educ Pract. 2024;14:39-43.
• 34. Nassar AA, Rajeh MT. Blackboard in dental education: educators' perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022;13:629-639.
• 35. Flores-Piñas WV, Flores-Piñas H, Chiri-Saravia PC, Laura-De La Cruz KM. Moodle in distance education. Puriq. 2022;4:e417-e417.
• 36. de Castro Junior RC, Medeiros TC, Honório HM, Sant’Ana E, da Silva Santos PS. Moodle: teaching strategies in distance education in oral medicine. Educ Res Int. 2017;2017:4279141.
• 37. Kerkstra RL, Rustagi KA, Grimshaw AA, Minges KE. Dental education practices during COVID-19: a scoping review. J Dent Educ. 2022;86:546-573.
• 38. Gürbüz E, Ceylan E. Dijital diş hekimliğinde sanal gerçeklik: anket çalışması. Yeditepe J Dent. 2022;18:31-36.
• 39. Hu-Au E, Lee JJ. Virtual reality in education: a tool for learning in the experience age. Int J Innov Educ. 2017;4:215-226.