An immersive virtual reality teaching system for edentulous implant surgery: enhancing interaction, precision feedback, and skill acquisition

Edentulous implant surgery presents significant educational challenges due to its procedural complexity and the limitations of traditional teaching methods. Conventional approaches often lack sufficient hands-on practice and real-time feedback, which hinders students’ skill mastery. The objective is to address these limitations by developing an innovative virtual reality (VR)-based teaching system. This system is designed to provide an immersive training environment to enhance students' procedural understanding, practical skills, and overall surgical competency. We developed a VR-based teaching system that integrates advanced modeling with interactive technologies. The system provides real-time, dynamic feedback on critical surgical parameters, allowing students to practice and improve their skills in an immersive environment. Preliminary assessments demonstrated a marked improvement in students’ operational proficiency and surgical competency. The system successfully bridged the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical execution. This VR-powered system offers a novel and effective solution for dental surgical education. It has the potential to elevate learning outcomes and better equip students with the expertise and confidence needed to navigate the complexities of clinical practice.