Global survey finds haptic VR underused in dental training despite benefits
Survey shows resource costs, not technology limits, block VR adoption in dental schools globally.
A global survey of 130 dental educators across 115 institutions in 57 countries reveals that haptic virtual reality and mixed reality technologies remain far less common than traditional simulation methods in dental training. Phantom heads and benchtop exercises account for approximately 81 percent of reported clinical training time, compared with about 14 percent for immersive technologies.
Why adoption lags behind expectations
Resource constraints emerge as the primary barrier to wider use of haptic virtual reality in dental schools. High initial costs for hardware, software licences, maintenance and faculty training disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Beyond financial obstacles, staff resistance and limited confidence in digital tools slow implementation. Educators trained in traditional methods often lack sufficient time and support to transition to new pedagogical approaches. Student enthusiasm for virtual reality-based training has grown with increasing digital fluency, yet institutional barriers remain the decisive factor.
Undergraduate versus postgraduate disparities
Adoption rates differ markedly between undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Undergraduate training benefits from national accreditation requirements, larger teaching teams, extensive planning and dedicated resource allocation, allowing immersive technologies to be embedded into curricula. Postgraduate programmes, typically delivered by smaller teams with narrower learning objectives and fewer resources, show lower uptake. Immersive tools prove most effective in preclinical undergraduate training, where they bridge theoretical learning and clinical skills development.
Global inequality in access
The survey found that higher socio-economic status of countries correlates with greater use of haptic virtual reality in undergraduate education. Lower-income settings face unreliable power supplies, insufficient technical support and fewer trained staff, limiting sustained adoption of advanced technologies. This creates a digital divide in training access and outcomes across regions.
The researchers recommend strategic collaboration among dental schools to negotiate lower purchasing prices, share simulation resources and create common repositories of digital cases and teaching materials. They also propose phased hybrid models combining traditional simulation with immersive technologies and artificial intelligence-supported learning, coupled with shared faculty development and multicentre research to strengthen the evidence base.
Frequently asked questions
How much training time is spent on haptic virtual reality versus traditional simulation in dental schools?
The survey found that phantom heads and benchtop exercises account for approximately 81 percent of reported clinical training time, while haptic virtual reality and mixed reality technologies account for about 14 percent. This represents roughly six times as much training time on traditional methods.
What is the main barrier to adopting haptic virtual reality in dental education?
Resource constraints are the primary barrier, particularly high initial costs for hardware, software licences, maintenance and faculty training. This issue disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where institutions may have only a few virtual reality units for cohorts of over 50 students.
Why is adoption higher in undergraduate than postgraduate dental training?
Undergraduate programmes are driven by national accreditation requirements and supported by large teams of educators, extensive planning and resource allocation, allowing immersive technologies to be embedded into curricula. Postgraduate programmes are typically delivered by smaller teams with narrower objectives and fewer resources, limiting integration of immersive tools.
How does a country's economic status affect access to haptic virtual reality training?
The survey found that higher socio-economic status of countries correlates with greater use of haptic virtual reality in undergraduate education. Lower-income countries face unreliable power supplies, insufficient technical support and fewer trained staff, creating a digital divide in training access.
What solutions do researchers propose to increase adoption of immersive technologies in dental schools?
Researchers recommend dental schools collaborate to negotiate lower purchasing prices, share simulation resources and create common repositories of digital cases and teaching materials. They also propose phased hybrid models combining traditional simulation with immersive technologies and AI-supported learning, plus shared faculty development and multicentre research.
