Learning to be a dentist isn't easy, but with the help of technological advances like the PerioSim 3D dental simulator, training becomes much more efficient for students.
Directly on the screen, students use a stylus which looks like an "explorer," the scary-looking, pointy device dentists use to pick around your teeth during exams. Not only do they see the 3D virtual mouth in real time, but they also feel the dimensions of the mouth as if it were in an actual human's.
PerioSim, which can be accessed online, was developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Tools like this are much needed for these fields; going to the dentist is scary enough, but having dentists who don't have sufficient training, whether in real life or virtual, is even more frightening.
Similar 3D simulators could be beneficial to students training in other medical professions too, from optometrists to plastic surgeons.
3D Medical Simulators
PerioSim for Dental Students
Trend Themes
1. 3D Medical Simulators - The trend of using 3D medical simulators to enhance professional training and improve patient care provides an opportunity for the development of customized simulation models.
2. Virtual Reality Training - The use of virtual reality as a training tool offers a disruptive innovation opportunity to improve performance, reduce costs, and minimize errors for medical students.
3. Immersive Learning - The trend of immersive learning using technology like the PerioSim 3D dental simulator presents an opportunity for educators to create interactive and specialized learning experiences for students in various medical fields.
Industry Implications
1. Medical Education - The medical education industry could benefit from the development of more advanced 3D medical simulators that can help to bridge the gap between classroom learning and hands-on patient care.
2. Healthcare Technology - The healthcare technology industry can leverage the trend of immersive learning to develop more advanced virtual reality training tools that improve patient outcomes and reduce costly errors.
3. Medical Device Manufacturing - The medical device manufacturing industry can explore opportunities to develop specialized tools like the PerioSim 3D dental simulator that can help enhance the training of medical professionals while also improving patient care.