The First Dental VR Simulation Training Room in the United States Opens for Use

Image source: WBAL-TV

DentalGoodNews｜Recently, local American television station WBAL-TV reported that the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Maryland has launched the United States' first virtual reality (VR) simulation training lab for dental hygiene education.

The lab is funded by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. The VR technology software was developed by the Swedish tech company Gleechi, with the New York University College of Dentistry assisting in the development of the local anesthesia simulation learning module.

According to Brionna Watson, Director of the Dental Hygiene Program at CCBC, students can immerse themselves in a virtual dental environment using head-mounted displays to freely and repeatedly practice various clinical skills. She believes "this helps build confidence, reduce anxiety, and provides students with a risk-free practice environment before they work on actual patients' mouths." She characterized it as "the first VR simulation training lab for dental hygiene education in the United States."

Watson stated: "The long-term goal of this project is to expand the VR training model to other dental hygiene schools across the country to enhance student engagement, build confidence, improve graduation rates, and help address the current nationwide shortage of dental hygienists."

According to previous reports by DGN, the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) issued a position statement in December 2024, explicitly acknowledging the dental hygiene workforce shortage and calling on the industry to take measures to attract and retain professionals. Furthermore, a systematic review published in the Journal of Dental Education indicated that integrating VR simulators into dental education curricula can effectively enhance student learning outcomes across four dimensions: knowledge acquisition, operational performance, confidence, and psychomotor skills.