2006 Volume 11 Issue 4 Pages 453-458
Dental calculus, hardened plaque on the teeth, is a cause of periodontitis, or gum diseases in mouth. For dentists and dental hygienists, it is an important task to remove the calculi of patients. The task is called "tooth scaling" and the calculi just beside the gum and between the tooth and gum are always removed away by using a hand scaler. Since the scaling by a hand scaler requires skill, apprentice dentists and dental hygienists must be trained to get the skill. Unfortunately in the training environment, however, there are several problems such as difficulty in collecting teeth on which various type calculi are stuck, lack of cooperative patients, and so on. Then, the authors have been newly developed a simulator for the training by using a PHANToM and a video-see-through HMD. The training effectiveness has been evaluated by artificial calculus removal on model teeth. The experimental result shows the developed simulator is more effective than the conventional paint removing method.
