Virtual Reality in Dental Medicine

Technological advances in AR, MR and VR are opening up new opportunities in medical and dental education. In collaboration with the ETH Game Technology Centre (GTC), an AR app was developed and integrated into the textbook "Cell Atlas: Visual Biology in Oral Medicine". The app recognises the SEM image of an osteoclast and visualises bone physiology interactively via playing a game of bone resorption and bone formation. A complementary VR app provides users with an immersive 3D experience of bone remodelling. Current projects integrate both technologies into regular courses.

This focus on innovative visualisation extends equally into modern dento-maxillofacial imaging, using radiologic imaging techniques ranging from X-ray and cone-beam CT to MRI. In collaboration with the Department of Radiology and further disciplines from the USZ, MRI indications in dental medicine are being explored. Additionally, 3D X-ray data is being converted into photorealistic visualisations using cinematic rendering. The aim is to visualise the complexity of human anatomy in a way that is both educational and realistic. This closes the loop from the raw image to the interaction with immersive 3D- 

visualisations.