JDSE
Journal of Dental Sciences and Education

The Journal of Dental Sciences and Education deals with General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, Orthodontics, Oral diagnosis and DentomaxilloFacial Radiology, Endodontics, Prosthetic Dentistry, Periodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Implantology, Dental Education and other dentistry fields and accepts articles on these topics. Journal of Dental Science and Education publishes original research articles, review articles, case reports, editorial commentaries, letters to the editor, educational articles, and conference/meeting announcements.

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Original Article
Virtual reality and haptic simulation in preclinical dental education: a bibliometric analysis
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to provide a bibliometric overview of research on virtual reality (VR) and haptic simulation in preclinical dental education, focusing on publication trends, research themes, international collaboration, and applications across dental disciplines.
Methods: Scopus was searched on July 13, 2026, for English-language original research articles involving dental students, VR or haptic simulation, and educational outcomes. Of 555 identified records, 176 met the eligibility criteria. Bibliometric indicators were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and keyword co-occurrence, country-level co-authorship, and bibliographic coupling analyses were performed using VOSviewer.
Results: The 176 publications, published between 2003 and 2026, received 3,818 citations. More than half (54.5%) were published between 2024 and 2026, with the highest annual output in 2025. The Journal of Dental Education was the most productive journal. China had the highest publication output, whereas the United Kingdom had the highest total link strength in the country-level collaboration network. Keyword analysis showed a shift from skill acquisition and computer-assisted instruction toward more recent themes including preclinical training, virtual simulation, and haptic simulation. Restorative and operative dentistry was the most represented discipline (36.4%), followed by endodontics (15.9%) and oral surgery/implantology (15.3%).
Conclusion: Research on VR and haptic simulation in preclinical dental education has expanded considerably in recent years. The findings reveal evolving research themes, differences in international collaboration, and a concentration of research in disciplines requiring procedural and psychomotor skills. This overview may help identify less explored areas and guide future research in technology-supported dental education.

Keywords : Bibliometric analysis, dental education, simulation training, virtual reality, dental students

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Ethical Statement

This study was based exclusively on publicly available bibliographic data and did not involve human or animal participants, clinical interventions, biological materials, or identifiable personal data. Therefore, ethics committee approval was not required.

Informed Consent

As the study did not involve human participants or identifiable personal data, informed consent was not applicable.

Author Contributions

The author was solely responsible for the study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, and preparation of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest related to this study.

Financial Disclosure

The author received no financial support for the conduct, authorship, or publication of this research.

Editor Note

Sema Yazıcı Akbıyık is a member of the Editorial Board of this journal. She was not involved in the editor assignment, reviewer selection, peer review process, or editorial decision for this manuscript. The peer review process was managed independently by another editor.


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Article available in :
Volume 4, Issue 4, 2026
Page : 134-140
https://doi.org/10.51271/JDSE-0088
Article Information
Received : 19 Tem 2026
Accepted : 19 Ağu 2026
Published : 28 Eki 2026
Corresponding Author :

Sema Yazıcı Akbıyık: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Yazıcı Akbıyık S. Virtual reality and haptic simulation in preclinical dental education: a bibliometric analysis. J Dent Sci Educ. 2026;4(4):134-140. doi:10.51271/JDSE-0088

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