The Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London welcomed Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer for England, on 20 October to officially open the Institute's Haptic Training Suite.

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Sara Hurley, CDO England with Professor Paul Coulthard, Dean & Director in one of the haptic suites

Paul Coulthard, Dean for Dentistry and Institute Director, described the investment in 42 Simodont Dental Trainers as ‘transformational as the scale allows us to fully integrate artificial intelligence (AI) learning into our undergraduate curriculum and postgraduate training. Importantly we have the opportunity to undertake pedagogical research to fully explore the advantages for learning and patient benefit'.

Sara Hurley said: ‘The possibilities and advantages of using artificial intelligence in clinical learning are extraordinary. The benefits of immediate objective feedback to the student, and the ability to rehearse endless times those rare procedures such as dental traumatic injuries are impressive'.

These Simodont Dental Trainers apply sophisticated haptic technology used in flight simulators, adapted and tailored for dental simulation, with a highly realistic haptic (force) feedback provided through a dental drill hand piece and mirror. The intention is that students develop psychomotor skills and confidence more rapidly so they spend less time in the traditional phantom head setting and transfer safely to patients sooner. It is believed that no other dental school in the world has as many Haptic Trainers as the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London. Haptic trainers provide an opportunity to upload patient-specific dental information and images. This will allow students to practise a particular procedure on a particular tooth of their patient, virtually, before undertaking the same procedure on the actual patient.