Unlocking the power of digital dentistry at the University of Helsinki

Two years ago, the dentistry programme at the University of Helsinki found a new home in the recently constructed Oral and Dental Centre, which also houses the dental wards of the HUS university hospital and the city of Helsinki. At the Centre, the university runs a state-of-the-art simulation facility, known among the students as the skills laboratory.

Equipped with 59 Planmeca Compact™ iSim simulation units and three Planmeca Compact™ i Classic dental units for live demonstrations, the skills laboratory provides dentistry students with a trailblazing learning environment for training basic clinical procedures. For many students, visiting the skills laboratory and using the simulation units for the first time is a memorable highlight for years to come.

"I am confident to say our department and our simulation laboratory are at the cutting edge. Our equipment, software and infrastructure are top-notch and functioning well. We have all the prerequisites for doing everything we want and to accomplish all workflows we want," expresses Antti Kämppi, University Lecturer and Vice Head of Dental Undergraduate Programme at the University.

Navigating traditional and digital dentistry

Antti Kämppi joined the University of Helsinki four years ago, just as the dentistry curriculum was being revised to include courses in digital dentistry. Previously, the students had learned, for example, to capture 3D images and utilise implant planning software on the go, usually during their practical training.

"With the curriculum update, we wanted to ensure our department can keep up with the latest technological developments in dentistry. With our digital dentistry curriculum, we are now teaching digital workflows and offering digital implant planning and clear aligner courses," Antti Kämppi tells.

In Finland, the duration of dentistry studies has been determined for all universities by a government decree. Accordingly, the studies span five and a half years, leading to a Licentiate in Dentistry degree, which is equivalent to a Doctor of Dental Science (DDS). Five of those years are dedicated to theoretical and clinical studies at the university, followed by six months of practical training at a dental practice somewhere in Finland.

The challenge faced by the University of Helsinki mirrors that of dental universities worldwide: balancing traditional and digital methods in dentistry within a fixed timeframe. The digital revolution not only affects prosthetics but also other areas of dentistry. For example, it is already common to use automated devices for root canal treatments instead of mere hand instrumentation. For dental schools, it is necessary to cover both.

"If we could decide ourselves, we would probably extend the dental curriculum by another six months, so we could focus more on the latest and future technologies. However, since this is not possible, we are determined to find other ways to keep our fingers on the pulse and keep up with the development of digital dentistry," Antti Kämppi says.

This means, for example, incorporating software in the pre-clinical learning environment. Planmeca Romexis® software is available at every simulation unit, which allows students to view X-ray images directly at their units. This streamlines the teaching of different dental specialties utilising radiology. In the skills laboratory, students also learn to capture intraoral images with two Planmeca ProX™ intraoral imaging simulation cabinets. The images captured with the intraoral X-ray are then available on any workstation in the skills laboratory.

Six Planmeca Emerald® S intraoral scanners are also actively used in the teaching of digital workflows. The scanners combined with Romexis software have proven useful for self-evaluation, too.

"As an example, our students can prep a tooth, scan it with Planmeca Emerald S and analyse the preparation in Romexis, comparing their results with an example preparation. The students can always discuss their performance with a teacher, too, but ideally, Romexis helps them analyse the scans by themselves and spot the areas in which tissue still needs to be removed," Antti Kämppi explains.

Mastering ergonomics in the spotlight

Compact instrument consoles, excellent usability and easy adaptability to suit different learning scenarios and preferences were some of the reasons why Planmeca Compact iSim simulation units were selected for the skills laboratory. Furthermore, each simulation unit has a relatively small footprint and its structure allows clearing up space on the table for a wide range of exercises, when needed.

With Planmeca Compact iSim units, students also focus on adopting correct working ergonomics from day one. The unit allows working both in sitting and standing positions and offers equally good ergonomics for both right- and left-handed users. The height and angle of the monitor can also be flexibly adjusted. It also helps that the phantom heads of the simulation units move the same way real heads would do.

"Good ergonomics is something we pay attention to from day one, even if some of our students would rather focus fully on dental procedures and consider ergonomics only after they have mastered different techniques with their hands. But it is always difficult to get rid of the habits you have already gotten used to, so learning good ergonomics from the get-go actually makes practising dentistry much more comfortable in the long run," explains Jaana Rautava, Associate Professor and Head of Dental Undergraduate Programme.

The skills acquired in the simulation laboratory are later trained at the dental wards of the Oral and Dental Centre and finally at dental practices around the country. Since Planmeca simulation units have the same functions and features as actual Planmeca dental units, the transition from pre-clinical to clinical work is often a no-brainer for dentistry students at the University of Helsinki.

"Plenty of dental practices all around Finland have opted for Planmeca dental units, which is why it is quite easy to adapt to the daily work at a dental practice when you are already familiar with Planmeca solutions," Antti Kämppi says.

"Planmeca units are very intuitive. When it comes to the digital natives attending our study programme, it does not take long for them to learn how to use the equipment and software in simulation or later at a dental clinic," he continues.

Operating lights enable a new dimension in teaching

Digital technology also introduces novel possibilities for teaching dentistry in a modern and compelling way. At the University of Helsinki, for example, the intelligent Planmeca Solanna® Vision operating light is regularly used to demonstrate dental procedures to students as it is capable of recording treatment sessions with two integrated 4K cameras. At the skills laboratory, the lecturer’s simulation unit has been equipped with Planmeca Solanna Vision so that the students can easily follow on screen what the lecturer is doing and repeat it on their simulation units.

Additionally, the three Planmeca Compact i Classic dental units of the skills laboratory are equipped with Planmeca Solanna Vision operating lights to live stream actual patient treatments to students. While the operating light takes care of capturing the treatment, the lecturer can explain the ongoing treatment using a headset.

"I am extremely happy with the various opportunities that Planmeca’s state-of-the-art technology offers for teaching, too. The three demo units of our skills laboratory allow me to stream patient treatments to our students while I explain what I am doing and why. We have actually installed two-way audio systems, so that the students can also ask questions during the treatment and I can answer them simultaneously. This allows us to engage the students in a new and compelling way in comparison to just giving them top-down instructions," Antti Kämppi explains.

This autumn, for example, Antti Kämppi and his colleague conducted five sessions covering workflows for full and partial prostheses.

"Feedback from these sessions have been extremely positive. Our students really appreciate this approach to teaching," Jaana Rautava tells.

Mapping the future – with artificial reality

According to Jaana Rautava, the collaboration with Planmeca has been excellent and the simulation units have been working like a dream. The feedback from students and lecturers has also been nothing but positive. Still, with new equipment, it always takes some time to see all the possibilities for which it could be used for. The same applies to Planmeca devices and software.

"Every day, we are becoming more and more familiar with the full potential of our Planmeca devices and software. They are packed with so many intelligent features and functions, which could be used in a number of ways. We just need to keep exploring. And then, all of a sudden, the subconscious comes up with new ways that piece of technology could be used for teaching,” Antti Kämppi tells.

Planmeca was the first dental equipment manufacturer to provide a solution to combine three sets of 3D data into a virtual patient: a CBCT image, a 3D face photo and an intraoral scan. Now, Antti Kämppi is planning to utilise this data also in dental education – in combination with artificial reality (AR) solutions. For capturing CBCT images and 3D face photos, the university uses Planmeca Viso® G5 imaging unit with an integrated Planmeca ProFace® system.

"For me, personally, digital dentistry is of particular interest. I enjoy being able to integrate it into our studies and figure out new ways to visualising treatment options to students. Currently, we are investigating opportunities to integrate AR solutions into our learning environment. We want to map CBCT images, 3D face photos captured with Planmeca ProFace, intraoral scans and MRI data together and examine it in artificial reality," Antti Kämppi envisions.

"For example, with the help of virtual patient data and AR, I would like to be able to examine a case with recurrent dislocation of the TMJ and use this data to examine different jaw movements and determine what causes the disc displacement," he continues.

Although available technology is rarely the reason why a student decides to apply for one university, not being able to keep up with the pace of digital dental evolution might well be a reason to choose another option.

"The future is digital and I feel it is a positive competitive advantage for us that we have the latest technology available for our students," Jaana Rautava concludes.

Antti Kämppi and Jaana Rautava.

Text: Mari Suominen
Images: Dino Azinur