Purpose/objectives: One of the most difficult local anesthetic blocks to master in dentistry is the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Historically, dental students have practiced local anesthesia on one another. At the University of Colorado, these practice sessions have been limited to one required laboratory session. The predictability and confidence of student IANB success have not been high in the past. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a novel IANB simulator, built on a three dimensional (3D)-printed mixed-reality haptic model, for second-year dental students to practice on prior to their laboratory session.
Methods: Thirty-nine student participants volunteered to practice with the IANB simulator. Participants were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. Self-reported confidence and injection-specific accuracy were measured during IANB simulator practice and the laboratory session. During lab, partner numbness was assessed as a measure of IANB success. Groups A (n = 20) and B (n = 19) practiced with the simulator before and after laboratory, respectively. Injection domains were not assessed during Group B's practice with the IANB simulator.
Results: Self-reported confidence increased for both groups (p < 0.001). However, for anesthetic success, Group A exhibited significantly greater success (52.6%) than Group B (17.6%) (p = 0.029).
Conclusion: Self-reported confidence in performing an IANB improved and higher anesthetic success was achieved for Group A. Further investigation is necessary to determine the long-term impact of using the IANB simulator in dental education.
Keywords: dental education; extended reality; haptic fidelity simulator; local anesthesia; mandibular nerve; mixed reality.
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