EVALUATING DENTAL CARIES PROGRESSION AND FLUORIDE INTERVENTION EFFICACY IN A VIRTUAL REALITY LAB: A SIMULATED STUDY WITH VIRTUAL PATIENTS
Keywords:
Dental caries, virtual reality, fluoride varnish, caries progression, virtual patients, micro-CTAbstract
This study investigates the progression of dental caries and the effectiveness of fluoride varnish as a preventive intervention within a virtual reality (VR) laboratory environment. Twenty virtual patients, exhibiting caries stages ranging from early enamel lesions to moderate dentin involvement (ICDAS 1-4), were divided into two groups: Group A received weekly fluoride varnish applications. At the same time, Group B served as a control with no intervention. Over a 28-day simulation period under a high-sugar diet scenario, caries lesion depth was monitored using a virtual micro-CT scanning system. Results revealed that Group A experienced a 20% reduction in lesion depth (from 50 μm to 40 μm), suggesting remineralization, whereas Group B exhibited a 92% increase (from 52 μm to 100 μm), indicating significant progression. Statistical analysis using t-tests confirmed a notable difference between groups (p < 0.05). The VR platform provided a controlled, repeatable, and ethically sound framework, circumventing the limitations of traditional in vivo or in vitro studies. This research highlights VR’s potential as a transformative tool for dental research and education, offering a scalable and cost-effective approach to studying caries dynamics and testing preventive strategies. The findings align with established evidence of fluoride’s caries-protective effects and suggest broader applications for VR in exploring therapeutic interventions and training dental professionals.
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