Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of implant navigation virtual teaching system on undergraduate teaching effect. METHODS: Twenty right-handed senior (grade 4) dental students with no surgical experience were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 10 students in each group. The experimental group was trained with the implant navigation virtual teaching system, and the control group was trained with the traditional free hand model. The difference in teaching effect between the two groups was compared through the questionnaire survey scale, and the implantation accuracy was evaluated by comparing the planned implant position with the actual implant position. SPSS 17.0 software package was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The implant placement training of the implant navigation virtual teaching system was implemented smoothly. The implant navigation virtual teaching system can significantly improve learning interest, stimulate motivation to continue learning, and improve students' understanding and memory of theoretical knowledge. The error of implantation in the experimental group was (0.856±0.303) mm in the neck, (1.238±0.494) mm in the root, and (3.516±1.673) degrees in the angle; the implant neck error in the control group was (1.218±0.276) mm, the root error was (1.721±0.524) mm, and the angle error was (9.478±4.395) degrees. The implant placement accuracy of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The implant navigation virtual teaching system can significantly improve the effect of implant placement in the undergraduate teaching of dental implantology.

Key words: Dental implant, Implant navigation, Undergraduate teaching