[Paper Review] The Winner of Endodontic Education in 2025? High-End VR Simulator vs. Smartphone App (VirTeaSy vs. Dental EndoMaster)

The "transition to clinical practice," where dental students move from mannequin practice to treating real patients for the first time, is a moment accompanied by immense stress and tension.

A recent Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) published in the Journal of Endodontics compared the effects of two advanced tools designed to help students during this critical period: a Virtual Reality Haptic Simulator (VRHS) and a Mobile Application.

In this post, we will review the study's findings on VirTeaSy Dental (VR) and Dental EndoMaster (Mobile App), and explore why the research suggests Dental EndoMaster is gaining attention as a realistic alternative.

1. The Matchup: High-End Equipment vs. Smartphone App

The researchers divided 30 fourth-year dental students into three groups to perform Access Cavity Preparation on maxillary anterior teeth of real patients.

• Group 1 (VRHS Group): Pre-training with VirTeaSy Dental (Haptic simulator, French).

• Group 2 (Mobile App Group): Pre-training with Dental EndoMaster (Dental Edutec Inc., South Korea).

• Group 3 (Control Group): Traditional method only, without prior digital tool training.

2. In-Depth Analysis: VirTeaSy vs. Dental EndoMaster

The study revealed distinct pros and cons for each tool. While VR led in fine motor skills, the mobile app demonstrated powerful advantages in accessibility, stress reduction, and overall clinical readiness.

① Clinical Performance & Stress Reduction

• VirTeaSy (Best for Fine Motor Skills): The VRHS group achieved the highest clinical scores and significantly reduced drilling time, proving that haptic feedback is superior for mastering fine motor skills.

• Dental EndoMaster (Effective & Confidence-Boosting): Contrary to the control group, the mobile app group demonstrated a positive influence on clinical performance and significantly reduced stress levels prior to the procedure. Although it lacks tactile feedback, the app effectively bridged the gap between theory and practice by improving students' self-confidence and perceived preparedness just as effectively as the VR simulator.

② Psychological Stability (Stress & Confidence)

• Both Tools Were Effective: Surprisingly, Dental EndoMaster was just as effective as the expensive VR equipment in aiding students' psychological stability. Both groups reported significantly lower pre-procedural stress (VAS scores) and higher confidence compared to the control group.

• Reason: Simply simulating the step-by-step procedure visually through the app provided students with "cognitive preparation"—knowing what to do—which helped dispel anxiety.

③ Accessibility & Cost - The Key Point!

• Dental EndoMaster (Clear Winner): As noted in the paper's discussion, haptic simulators like VirTeaSy have a critical drawback: they are extremely expensive and require dedicated installation space, making it difficult for all educational institutions or individuals to acquire them.

• In contrast, Dental EndoMaster: Allows for repeated learning "Anytime, Anywhere" as long as you have a smartphone. The ability to learn procedures and grasp anatomical structures through 3D models without expensive equipment, free from spatial and temporal constraints, offers incomparable value in terms of cost-effectiveness.

3. Conclusion: What is the Realistic Solution for Endo Education?

The conclusion of this paper can be summarized as follows:

"For Skills, VR is King. For Access, the App is the Answer."

• VirTeaSy (VRHS): An effective training tool for institutions with sufficient budgets that need to boost students' fine motor skills. Tactile feedback is an area mobile apps cannot yet replace.

• Dental EndoMaster (Mobile App): The most efficient 'Smart Assistant' for environments where high-cost equipment is unfeasible, or for students who need to quickly remind themselves of procedures and manage their mindset right before seeing a patient.

In Summary: For the ultimate training experience, a VR simulator is ideal. However, realistically, not every dentist or student can own equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars. In this context, Dental EndoMaster serves as an excellent alternative to VR with its low cost and overwhelming accessibility. Although it lacks haptic feedback, its value is fully proven by its ability to significantly reduce stress and enhance clinical performance by perfectly simulating the procedure in your mind.

Access original article:
https://www.jendodon.com/article/S0099-2399(25)00711-3/abstract