Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41267424›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe2026

Beyond the Drill: Can Digital Gadgets Redefine the Future of Dental Education?

Szabolcs Felszeghy, Adam Kada, Amanda Jackson, Andreea Didilescu, Barry Quinn, Dalia Meisha, Damiano Pasqualini, Daniela Alejandra Pino Valenzuela, Nejdet Adanir, Esther Carramolino Cuellar and 29 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Beyond the Drill: Can Digital Gadgets Redefine the Future of Dental Education?European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

39 authors.

Szabolcs FelszeghyInstitute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Adam KadaFaculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
Amanda JacksonNorthern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency, Belfast, UK.
Andreea DidilescuFaculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
Barry QuinnSchool of Dentistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Dalia MeishaFaculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8234-690X
Damiano PasqualiniSchool of Dentistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0365-0626
Daniela Alejandra Pino ValenzuelaFaculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
Nejdet AdanirDepartment of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6235-3448
Esther Carramolino CuellarFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Gianrico SpagnuoloDepartment of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Gitana RederieneEuropean Dental Hygienists Federation, Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9131-7190
Gulsun GulAmerican Dental Education Association, Washington, DC, USA.
Hal DuncanDivision of Restorative Dentistry & Periodontology, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8690-2379
Hany Mohamed Aly AhmedDepartment of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0776-9288
Jorge Alberto Tricio PesceFaculty of Health and Dentistry, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2364-9828
Khaled AhmedMelbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Laura AndriukaitieneDepartment of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway.
Łukasz ZadroznyDepartment of Propaedeutics and Dental Prophylaxis, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
Małgorzata Ponto-WolskaDepartment of Propaedeutics and Dental Prophylaxis, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
Margaret J CoxKing's College London Dental Institute, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7002-808X
Maria Florencia Sittoni PinoFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
María Paz Rodríguez HoppFacultad de Salud y Odontología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
Masako NagasawaFaculty of Dentistry, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4436-2129
Mengwei PangDepartment of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3524-7049
Mikko LiukkonenInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Murat MutluayDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Neshka ManchorovaDepartment of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Nicla FlaccoFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2937-2479
Nisrine El ArroufFaculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
Noha Waleed BarakatDepartment of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Galala University, Al Galala, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0600-9412
Outi HuhtelaInstitute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1853-3182
Peter LingströmDepartment of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Samantha ByrneMelbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Sobia ZafarSchool of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5551-8147
Sompop BencharitUNC Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1209-9362
Suzie BergmanDepartment of Neurosurgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Ulf ÖrtengrenDepartment of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Reinhard Chun Wang ChauFaculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5691-6806

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and haptic technologies is revolutionising dental education, offering transformative opportunities to enhance skill acquisition, ergonomic awareness and student well-being. These tools offer immersive, repeatable and personalised learning experiences, addressing challenges such as underdeveloped manual dexterity in digitally literate students and post-COVID disruptions in hands-on training.

aimThis letter aims to highlight the transformative potential of AI-driven adaptive feedback paired with VR and haptic simulators in creating risk-free environments for mastering complex procedures, while advocating for strategies to reduce clinical errors and promote sustainability by minimising reliance on physical resources. DISCUSSION: Despite their potential, barriers such as high costs, resistance to change, logistical complexities and insufficient longitudinal evidence hinder widespread adoption. These challenges perpetuate educational disparities, particularly in low-resource regions, and necessitate targeted strategies such as cost-effective models, faculty retraining and international collaboration. The rise of digitally native educators and global initiatives, such as the Digital, VR-Haptic Thinkers network, signals a shift toward future-ready curricula that prioritise equity, sustainability and innovation. As mandated by the EU's 2024 directive, digital dentistry knowledge is now a fundamental component of basic dental training.

conclusionTo fully harness these technologies, stakeholders must address evidence gaps, validate cognitive benefits and align curricula with modern learner expectations. This letter calls for urgent collaboration among educators, institutions and industry to overcome barriers, ensuring dental education evolves to meet 21st-century demands for equitable, high-quality oral healthcare delivery.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceEducation, DentalVirtual RealityCurriculumDigital HealthForecastingHumans

Identifiers

PMID41267424
PMCPMC13383286

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.