Three final year dental students at the University of Glasgow Dental School have developed the concept of using Nintendo Wii technology to help dental students try out their operative skills.

The students are winners of The Dental Innovation Technology Ideas Award, which challenges final year students to develop an idea for a new piece of technology or innovation in the dental field.

The winning idea would utilise the Nintendo Wii console using special software to simulate operative techniques. The wireless controllers would be used by dental students to control the handling of instruments on a virtual patient on the screen. The controller could also be used to provide sensory feedback to the user.

Dr David Watson of the University of Glasgow Dental School commented, 'The use of Wii technology could be a really innovative and cost-effective solution which students could use to improve their manual dexterity. There is considerable research to back up the concept of using video games to improve dentists' coordination and the Wii-based application would complement the simulation technology already used in dental schools worldwide.'

The students – Pearse Hannigan, David Lagan and Adam Gray – were presented with a cheque for £300 and a glass obelisk.