Comparison of Two Innovative Strategies Using Augmented Reality for Communication in Aesthetic Dentistry: A Pilot Study

During dental prosthetic rehabilitation, communication and conception are achieved using rigorous methodologies such as smile design protocols. The aim of the present pilot study was to compare two innovative strategies that used augmented reality for communication in dentistry. These strategies enable the user to instantly try a virtual smile proposition by taking a set of pictures from different points of view or by using the iPad as an enhanced mirror. Sixth-year dental students (n=18, women=13, men=5, mean age=23.8) were included in this pilot study and were asked to answer a 5-question questionnaire studying the user experience using a visual analog scale (VAS). Answers were converted into a numerical result ranging from 0 to 100 for statistical analysis. Participants were not able to report a difference between the two strategies in terms of handling of the device (p=0.45), quality of the reconstruction (p=0.73), and fluidity of the software (p=0.67). Even if the participants' experience with the enhanced mirror was more often reported as immersive and more likely to be integrated in a daily dental office practice, no significant increase was reported (p=0.15 and p=0.07). Further investigations are required to evaluate time and cost savings in daily practice. Software accuracy is also a major point to investigate in order to go further in clinical applications.