Innovative Trends in Implant Dentistry Training and Education: A Narrative Review

• Main Authors: Ana Santos Ferro, Ken Nicholson, Sreenivas Koka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: implant dentistry education; blended learning; virtual reality; augmented reality; haptics; online learning; mixed reality
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/8/10/1618

Background: The field of implant dentistry education is rapidly evolving as new technologies permit innovative methods to teach the fundamentals of implant dentistry. Methods: Literature from the fields of active learning, blended learning, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, haptics, and mixed reality were reviewed and combined with the experience and opinions of expert authors. Both positive and negative aspects of the learning methods are presented. Results and Conclusion: The fundamental objectives of teaching and learning remain unchanged, yet the opportunities to reach larger audiences and integrate their learning into active experiences are evolving due to the introduction of new teaching and learning methodologies. The ability to reach a global audience has never been more apparent. Nevertheless, as much as new technology can be alluring, each new method comes with unique limitations.