• Grant & Fund
• Expressions Summer 2024

Immersive Videos for Paediatric Dentistry Training

HKU Teaching Development Grant

Immersive videos can bring real-life scenarios to training.

Training undergraduate students to provide dental care to children can be challenging, as pre-clinical training may not fully replicate the behaviours and complexities in real-life scenarios. To address this challenge, the Faculty has adopted a learning platform of Vicarious Learning Dialogue videos (VLDV) to facilitate clinical skill teaching in paediatric dentistry.

Using immersive virtual reality and augmented reality technology, students can practice clinical procedures in a simulated environment without compromising patient safety. With interactive features like patient history, radiographs, clinical complications and key decision point moments, the technology improves students’ problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills.

The project titled “Development of vicarious learning dialogue videos to support clinical skills learning in paediatric dentistry – a flipped-classroom approach” has received the HKU Teaching Development Grant (TDG) in 2023.

A single incorrect decision can have far-reaching consequences for children. Teaching students how to make informed and precise judgement is crucial during their training.

Professor Phoebe Lam, Clinical Assistant Professor in Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and the Principal Investigator of the project, emphasised the importance of accurate clinical judgment, “A single incorrect decision can have far-reaching consequences for children. Teaching students how to make informed and precise judgement is crucial during their training.”

In the next stage, the team obtained another TDG in 2024 for the project: “Proficiency-based virtual reality training in Paediatric Dentistry – Development of an Immersive and Interactive virtual environment for pulpotomies”. By utilising virtual and augmented reality technology, students can learn and practice clinical procedures repeatedly, without putting actual patients at risk.

Through these innovative initiatives, HKU Dentistry is at the forefront of transforming dental education, equipping students with the necessary skills, expertise and confidence to provide outstanding dental care to children.