How students build clinical skills with advanced technology before treating real patients.
At UFCD, students begin honing clinical judgment early using the same tools they’ll encounter in modern dental practices.
From AI-enhanced radiology and immersive virtual reality to large language model-driven virtual patient encounters, these advanced digital technologies help students visualize complex biomechanics, assess their technical skills objectively and refine their patient communication competency in a low-risk environment.
Elevating Diagnostic Reasoning
The Overjet AI Teaching Clinic
After just one hour of training, learners improve their ability to detect dental caries, commonly known as cavities, by more than 40 percent.
In the Overjet AI Teaching Clinic, grayscale radiographs are enhanced with color-coded annotations that pinpoint decay and quantify bone measurements.
This highly accurate AI-screening capability allows students to move more quickly past basic pattern recognition and focus on sharpening their clinical skills in diagnosis, treatment planning and real-time patient communication.
It’s a technological shift in clinical capacity that raises the baseline for diagnostic accuracy early in a student’s training, an objective that is traditionally difficult to achieve through lectures and static images alone.
In-house research shows that UFCD learners significantly improved their ability to detect tooth decay on radiographs after completing AI-assisted training.
Overjet in practice:
- “UFCD & Overjet partner to develop dental AI dducation program” (2022, UFCD News)
- “Students hone their dental AI skills while helping their patients” (2024, UF News)
Mastering Orthodontic Biomechanics
Immersive Virtual Reality
Students can step outside of their imagination and visualize tooth movement in 3D.
Using virtual reality headsets, DMD students and residents can explore orthodontic biomechanics like never before.
This wireless, high-resolution, immersive technology allows them to experience animated 3D models of tooth movement from multiple perspectives, giving them a closer, more detailed view of dental movement and force application in orthodontic treatment.
While traditional lectures remain more effective for structured baseline knowledge acquisition, in-house studies on the technology show that VR significantly increases the amount of time our learners are willing to engage with these concepts and their sense of gratification in applying/ expanding their knowledge on the topic.
Used strategically in conjunction with traditional analog instruction, this approach supports strong foundational knowledge and deeper spatial understanding.
Student research in practice
In a study presented at the 2026 Spring Synergy symposium, DMD student Emile Karam evaluated virtual reality against traditional lectures for orthodontic biomechanics using custom simulations on Meta Quest 3 headsets.
- VR increased learner attention span, perceived relevance and overall satisfaction
- Lecture-based instruction supported stronger foundational concept comprehension
A related undergraduate-led review also presented at Spring Synergy found similar patterns across global studies: stronger spatial understanding and higher engagement, while acknowledging the need for long-term research.
Together, these findings support UFCD’s approach. Immersive digital tools are most effective when used alongside core analog instruction.
Training Empathic Communication
Virtual patients and communication training
Students practice real patient conversations before they happen in the clinic.
Students interact with AI-driven virtual patients to work through realistic scenarios, including patient anxiety, financial barriers and complex medical histories.
A specially trained LLM responds in real time, identifying missed opportunities for empathetic responses or clear communication. This immediate feedback helps students become more confident in complex conversations, moving them past basic acknowledgment or simple replies.
In a UF-led study, students who received real-time feedback during virtual patient conversations demonstrated stronger empathic communication skills when approaching clinical patient interactions.
AI across the Curriculum
Advancing critical thinking and clinical readiness through applied AI
AI is used throughout the curriculum to challenge students’ reasoning, communication and technical skills.
Debate and critical thinking
UFCD learners and faculty are encouraged to use large language models as “intellectual sparring partners.” Rather than leaning on LLMs for quick answers or cognitive alleviation, they test their intellect and opinions against alternative viewpoints to strengthen their explanations and defenses of clinical decisions.
Ethical reflection
In the fourth-year DMD Professionalism in Patient Care course, instructional designer Dr. Carrie Wells worked with faculty to redesign the traditional ethical dilemma paper by introducing an active AI interviewer.
Instead of writing surface-level reflections on past clinical encounters, students engage directly with the system, which asks targeted questions about their decision-making and values. Acting as an intellectual catalyst rather than a shortcut, the AI guides students through a deeper exploration of their clinical experiences before they begin writing, leading to more rigorous and meaningful self-assessments.
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