Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Local Anesthesia Practice Among a Dental Student’s Aspect

Abstract

This study aimed to develop VR teaching materials to enhance visualization skills in preclinical dental education, specifically for the inferior alveolar nerve block technique. Using the Oculus Quest II, a VR simulation program was created and tested on 3rd and 4th-year dental students at Suranaree University of Technology. Participants first received 30 minutes of instruction followed by a pre-test, then engaged with the VR program, and completed a post-test. A questionnaire measured program satisfaction, which was validated by experts and had a reliability score of 0.69. The average satisfaction score was 4.3, and post-test scores significantly improved over pre-test scores (p<0.05). These results suggest that the VR program enhances learning experiences and procedural skills, indicating its potential benefit for dental education.