AI-Enhanced Haptic Simulation for Dental Education: A Cross-Sectional Study

Haptic simulation in dentistry enhances learning by providing realistic and safe training experience. This study aimed to evaluate its contribution to learning by analyzing student satisfaction with the tool. This cross-sectional study, conducted among 115 students at Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, evaluated the use of the Virteasy haptic simulator in pediatric dentistry. The students underwent traditional teaching methods and simulator exercises and then completed questionnaires.The results indicate that 52.73% of the students found the simulator difficult to use because of ergonomic issues and a lack of tactile realism. Despite this, 33.64% of the participants considered the simulation useful for their training. The educational resources and supervision were generally well received by the participants. However, 57.27% of the students found performing pulpotomy more complex on a simulator than on a natural tooth. This study confirms the usefulness of haptic simulators but highlights technical challenges similar to those reported in the literature. Their inte gration into training programs requires improvements, particularly in terms of ergonomics and exercise variety, to optimize their effectiveness and complement traditional teaching.