A dental training system using virtual reality

There are problems with the lack of reality in dental training using a mannequin. In dealing with such problems, we suggest in this study a dental training system with application of virtual reality technology. In our system, a virtual environment and a virtual patient were produced in a virtual space, in which dental mirror and hand pieces can be operated in real time. To be aware of and to avoid possible dangers in training, the tongue of the patient is moved randomly. A warning sound is given off when the drill comes in contact with the tongue or the buccal. The effectiveness of the system was confirmed with experiments. Furthermore, the application of force, which is very important in dentistry, was tried, and the avoidance of a strong force affecting the tongue or buccal was also realized. Finally, the feather-touch training in tooth cutting was carried out, in which the acquisition of force information and the visualization of force were realized.