Advanced Implant Education Using Haptic Anatomical Models for Surgical Simulation

Teaching surgical procedures to students is a challenging task. They combine a thorough knowledge of anatomical structures with operational techniques and require an understanding of the three-dimensional configuration. Seminars, lectures, or video tutorials have their strengths in deepening theoretical knowledge. Their unfortunate drawback is that they can only offer a two-dimensional perspective. Trainee surgeons or students need to obtain adequate powers of spatial perception before commencing surgical procedures. Dental implant placement does not require a special degree or training. After graduating from dental school the dentist can perform implant surgeries without passing through a specific training. Many predoctoral dental curricula, however, do not include implant dentistry. Furthermore, students often do not participate in surgical treatment and their approach to learning surgical techniques is limited to observing (Kihara et al., 2017). Present models for hands-on practice do not transfer clinical situations to the training lab and might therefore not be sufficient as preparation to actual surgical interventions (Li et al., 2011). Three-dimensional imaging renders a unique possibility to study patient anatomy prior to surgery. Recent advances in computer-aided design and 3D printing technology are the foundation to transfer anatomical images to haptic models for surgery simulation. The use of patient-specific models replicating hard and soft tissue configuration provide helpful information not only to the surgeon but also to the student (Nobis et al., 2014). Haptic models derived from three-dimensional imaging data are used to educate students on patient-individual anatomy and to prevent from intraoperative complications related to surgical technique. Additionally, haptic models may be used to discuss and train soft tissue handling prior to a surgical intervention. Until today, fabricating a realistic soft tissue layer is the challenge but new materials introduced in stereolithography might be able to overcome this limitation (Park et al., 2017). Combined hard and soft tissue models are a useful learning instrument and might therefore increase the efficiency and success of dental implant surgeries. The purpose of this poster is to present a protocol for dental implant education. It may provide helpful information to increase the confidence of the inexperienced student and to visualize surgical challenges to the experienced clinician. Keywords: dental training, surgical training, dental implant, image guided surgery, preoperative planning, haptic model, 3D printing