EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF AUGMENTED REALITY AS A TEACHING SUPPORT FOR WIRE BENDING IN ORTHODONTIC PRECLINIC

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of augmented reality to support the wire bending in orthodontic preclinic.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial with eleven students of II semester specialization in functional orthopedics and orthodontics at Cooperative University of Colombia, was performed. Variables such as sex, time and quality T-loops, boxed and lateral extension box with helical loops, were analyzed in addition to the usability of mediation. Two groups were formed: the control group received verbal explanation of the development of the loops with the teacher and the experimental group included the application of augmented reality and video guide for wire bending. Each group produced one by one the loops timing the time in minutes and seconds, the quality is determined from the template of drawing loops and evaluation by an expert. The data analysis was mean and standard deviation for time and frequency and percentage for sex, quality and usability.
Results: 54.5% of students were men; the average time was 12.41 minutes with ± 1.06 SD and a very good quality of 61% for the control group, while the average time was 14.27 ± 0.44 SD and 46.6% of regular quality for the experimental group. One hundred percent of students affirmed that pedagogic mediation provided them ability to development loops as well as being simple and enable them to build the different loops step by step.
Conclusions: The augmented reality application provides support in the teaching-learning process in orthodontic preclinic with teaching accompaniment.