JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Serious games are gaining momentum in dental education due to their positive educational impact. However, their application in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning training remains unexplored.

Objective:

This study aimed to design and evaluate a serious game for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning, comparing its educational impact between gamer and non-gamer users.

Methods:

A serious game for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning in virtual patients (OrthoVirt) was developed using React. Thirty-two fourth-year dental undergraduates were recruited and categorized based on their video game playing habits into two groups: gamers (n=16), who reported playing video games for at least seven hours per week, and non-gamers (n=16), who played less frequently. Both groups used OrthoVirt following the same standardized protocol. Pre- and post-knowledge assessments and a satisfaction questionnaire were administered. Knowledge improvement was assessed using paired t-tests, while group comparisons were made using independent t-tests.

Results:

Both gamer and non-gamer groups showed significant knowledge improvement after using OrthoVirt (P<.001). The mean scores of the gamer group increased from 10.31 to 15.19, while those of the non-gamer group rose from 11.19 to 14.31. No significant differences were found between groups in pre- and post-knowledge assessments as well as improvement scores (P>.05). Both groups rated OrthoVirt favorably, with 'perceived ease of use' scoring highest and 'perceived enjoyment' lowest. Overall satisfaction was similar between groups (P>.05).

Conclusions:

OrthoVirt demonstrated potential as a supplementary tool for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning education, significantly improving students' knowledge regardless of their video game playing habits. While students provided positive feedback on its usefulness and ease of use, opportunities for enhancing user enjoyment were identified.