Two faculty members from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine have each received $5,000 seed grants from Academic Affairs to explore ways to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the classroom. These grants will fund the development of virtual reality (VR) goggles and interactive lectures.
“It’s everybody’s dream to use these fancy goggles, and they are especially attractive to this generation of dental students who grew up with interactive video games,” said Ahmet Orgev, DDS, clinical associate professor of restorative dentistry.
Orgev is leading the development of VR goggles to help students plan for dental implant rehabilitation and other dental prosthetics with greater precision, as well as communicate treatment plans with patients.
“In gaming, high-quality graphics create a dynamic environment that feels real. In dentistry, we can use AI to give patients realistic experiences with the goggles and simulate what they can expect after treatment. Technology is always tempting, and at UB, we’re fortunate to utilize it at the cutting edge,” Orgev explained.
Meanwhile, Adaias Matos, DDS, PhD, clinical assistant professor of restorative dentistry, is working on ways to use AI to create interactive lectures and personalized assessments. Specifically, in his Fixed Prosthodontics course, Matos aims to implement an AI program that will help students improve their coursework in real time.
“For example, in the middle of a recorded lecture, I would give students a quiz,” he explained. “If they do not perform well, AI will present the next question based on their performance. It provides a second chance for these students.”
The use of AI and technology in dentistry is not yet standardized across universities, leaving the responsibility on individual faculty members.
Last year, NYU’s College of Dentistry began offering students a new way to master anesthesia injections using VR, and the University of Florida launched an AI-powered simulation program, combining avatars and virtual reality, to train future dentists and nurse practitioners.
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