Evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual reality simulation for preclinical local anaesthesia dental education.

Introduction: Traditional manikin training has limitations that virtual reality can address. This study investigated the effectiveness of two part-task training simulation methods, a virtual reality (VR Sim) vs a plastic manikin (PM Sim), on learning outcomes for local anaesthesia skills for second-year pre-clinical dental students.

Methods: In an experimental study, 58 second-year students were randomly assigned to one of two groups, VR Sim or PM Sim.