DentalBlogs reported earlier in the year that the NYU School of Dentistry adopted digital textbooks, but today’s educational dental technology goes much deeper. Enter DentSim, a system that uses robotic patients and interactive software to teach dental students various procedures. The system can gauge measurements within 1/3 of a millimeter. One student related the images to being able to "stand in a tooth and look around." According to a video on UDENT, "Instructors agree that virtual dentistry is the wave of the future."
In addition to DentSim, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and genetic experts at the school created Genetics Education in Dentistry Case Simulator to teach genetics to hygiene students. The goal is to improve their decision-making abilities through guided use of scientific evidence. Students learn about genetics, genome technology, and ethical issues with this system.
As you well know, the ADA and other postgraduate dental education institutions offer online CEs, which are convenient and practical in today’s high-tech world. WorldWideLearn is just one web directory of online CEs for dentists.
These are a small sampling of the educational dental technology that is in use right now. For soon-to-be dentists and hygienists, as well as those of you working hands-on with patients each day, technology has revolutionized dental education. It will be interesting to see the next developments, when innovations like DentSim seem absolutely phenomenal.