Knowledge regarding applications of virtual reality- haptic and augmented reality technologies among dental healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Technologies like virtual reality, haptic and augmented reality offer great potential for improving dental education, particularly in the preclinical development of manual skills and spatial awareness. Therefore, it is of interest to assess the knowledge and awareness of virtual reality (VR) - haptic and augmented reality (AR) technology among dental healthcare professionals of Saudi Arabia. Awareness regarding VR/AR was fairly high among the study sample, with 75.5% knowing about these technologies. 67% had not used VR/AR in clinical or teaching practice and over half had attended related training. Thus, we show significant gap between awareness and practical application, underscoring the need for curriculum integration and targeted training to facilitate adoption in dental practice.