Sir, it is predicted that within two to three years, most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars. The metaverse is a virtual world wherein people will be virtually represented through avatars in their online interactions.1 The health industry has now started using components like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). The Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons have performed the institution's first AR surgeries in living patients this year. This consisted of a headset with a see-through eye display that projects images of the patient's internal anatomy such as bones and other tissue based on CT scans - essentially giving the surgeons an x-ray vision.2
Dentistry too will evolve in the near future, taking a cue from medical health practices in their exploration of the metaverse. Soon, we might have dental telehealth conversations in a virtual metaverse with our avatars indulging in dental health consultation with patients. Imagine doing a root canal with x-ray or 3D images of canal morphology in your live view, placing an implant, seeing the exact position of implant and bone at the time of surgery, or removing a tumour growth with a live feed of anatomical tumour extension in your vision.
With more accessibility, no travel cost and the benefit of moving from different sessions or booths being possible from anywhere in the world, there are endless possibilities - from dental health access for underprivileged people to using technological innovations to upgrade training models.3 Although technology is marching relentlessly forward, some things remain fundamental, and people-to-people communication will continue to be one of them.
References
CNBC TV 18. Bill Gates: Office meetings in the metaverse only 2-3 years away. 15 December 2021. Available at: https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/bill-gates-office-meetings-in-the-metaverse-only-2-3-years-away-11799232.htm (accessed January 2022).
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Johns Hopkins Performs Its First Augmented Reality Surgeries in Patients. 16 February 2021. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/johns-hopkins-performs-its-first-augmented-reality-surgeries-in-patients (accessed January 2022).
Kurian N, Sabu A M, Subramanium A, Isaac T K. Smart glasses. Br Dent J 2021; 231: 532.
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Kurian, N., Cherian, J. & Varghese, K. Dentistry in the metaverse. Br Dent J 232, 191 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4003-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4003-6