Study explores mixed reality in dental education

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Thu. 24. September 2026

save

ZURICH, Switzerland: Immersive technologies such as mixed reality (MR) are gaining increasing attention in dental education as potential tools for creating more interactive and engaging learning environments. However, concerns have been raised about the possible cyber-sickness effects associated with immersive devices, such as visual disturbances, nausea and dizziness. A recent pilot study has therefore explored dental students’ experiences of an MR-based learning approach, including its physical tolerability. The findings indicate that students generally accepted and engaged with the format.

Prof. Murali Srinivasan, who led a recent pilot study on mixed reality in dental education, believes that this immersive technology should complement, not replace, established teaching. (Image: Prof. Murali Srinivasan)

MR combines virtual content with the physical environment, allowing users to interact with digital objects in real-world settings. In education, it can create realistic learning experiences that support experiential learning and may enhance engagement, comprehension and skill development.

“Dental education depends primarily on understanding structures and relationships in 3D. We were interested in exploring how students experienced MR as a more interactive way of engaging with 3D content. At the same time, we wanted to examine the students’ actual experience, including comfort and engagement, before considering how such technology might be incorporated more broadly into teaching,” senior author Prof. Murali Srinivasan, director of the Clinic of Gerodontology and Special Care Dentistry at the University of Zurich, told Dental Tribune International.

The study involved 20 undergraduate dental students who attended a 30-minute MR lecture on masticatory efficiency. The students’ experience of cyber-sickness symptoms was assessed before and after the session using a questionnaire. After the lecture, the students also completed questionnaires assessing their sense of presence in the MR environment, as well as their motivation and task experience.

The MR lecture was generally well tolerated. Fatigue and eye strain were the only symptoms reported to increase significantly. By contrast, nausea, dizziness and disorientation were not significantly affected by participation in the session, and no sex-related differences in symptoms were identified.

The students reported feeling highly immersed and engaged in the MR environment. However, their responses also indicated that they had comparatively little sense of being with and interacting with others during the MR activity. According to the researchers, these findings suggest that the experience centred primarily on individual engagement with the virtual environment rather than social connectedness or collaborative interaction.

The participants also reported high levels of interest and enjoyment and of perceived competence in performing the activity, alongside low levels of pressure and tension. According to the researchers, these responses indicate that students found the MR experience engaging and relatively non-stressful, supporting MR’s acceptability as an adjunct to conventional dental education.

“These findings give us useful direction for improving future teaching formats,” Prof. Srinivasan commented. “The next challenge is to determine whether this positive learning experience translates into measurable benefits in knowledge retention and clinical skills. Ultimately, technology should be adopted because it adds educational value, not simply because it is new.”

Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of MR-based learning in dental education. “I see MR as an additional educational tool rather than a substitute for established teaching or clinical training. Its strength may be in areas where spatial understanding and interactive visualisation are important,” Prof. Srinivasan concluded.

The findings complement those of a previous global study reported on by Dental Tribune International, which found that immersive technologies are under-used in dental education despite growing interest in their potential. Whereas that study highlighted institutional barriers to adoption, including resource constraints, staff resistance and the need for stronger supporting evidence, the present pilot study provides insight into considerations regarding the student experience.

Importantly, the findings suggest that good overall tolerability does not eliminate the need to consider the physical demands of MR use. The researchers highlighted session duration, ergonomics and measures to limit visual fatigue as practical considerations. They also noted that cyber-sickness may be reduced by adjusting system settings to minimise sensory conflict.

The study, titled “Evaluation of student attitudes in adopting mixed reality-based learning (MRBL) approach in dental curriculum: A pilot study”, was published online in the December 2026 issue of the Journal of Dentistry.