In 2024, the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine is set to revolutionize dental education with a $2.6 million investment to upgrade its Simulation Clinic located in the Samson Pavilion. The state-of-the-art facility will be equipped with the latest A-dec dental simulation equipment, enhancing the preclinical patient simulation curriculum in operative
dentistry, prosthodontics, endodontics, digital dentistry and implant dentistry to the highest possible level.
The upgrade includes 82 dental patient simulator units featuring programmable touchpads, operating lights and operator stools identical to those used in the School of Dental Medicine Dental Clinic located on Chester Avenue. Students will benefit from Kilgore Darwin Manikins with the new Kilgore Series 700 Typodont, simulated caries teeth and the latest Bien-Air Optima MX2 electric motor handpieces—which support dental restorative, endodontic and implant dentistry capabilities. Each simulator station will also feature a 20 inch computer screen for multimedia learning.
Adjacent to the main 82-seat Simulation Clinic, a 40 seat Simulation Clinic will be dedicated to teaching students Digital Dentistry using the Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture (CADCAM) scan and design process for dental crowns. Additionally, a nearby CADCAM and 3D Printing Lab will be equipped with a Planmeca 30s mill and Formlab 3D printers. A separate ten seat simulation space will house Sim-Ex augmented reality dental simulators, allowing students to practice 3D real-time visualization, receive feedback and self-assess their high-speed handpiece skills in operative dentistry and fixed prosthodontics procedures.
In the HEC Digital Suite, Case Western Reserve dental students are now the first in the United States to learn HoloAnatomy and HoloNeuro 3D mixed reality human anatomy, thanks to a $91,000 investment in HoloLens visors and HoloAnatomy software by the School of Dental Medicine. Soon, students will utilize HoloLens in the Simulation Clinic's Masticatory Dynamics course to visualize the function of the temporomandibular joint and the occlusion of the teeth.
The new Simulation Clinic will be unveiled on Monday, August 12, with various training sessions scheduled for students and faculty that morning. Representatives from A-dec, Bien-Air and Kilgore International will conduct orientations on the functions and maintenance of their respective equipment. Bien-Air has generously gifted the new instruments for the clinic, and their philanthropy will be celebrated during the event.
The School of Dental Medicine will host a boxed lunch reception from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the North Winter Garden, featuring remarks by Dean Kenneth Chance at 12:45 p.m. Representatives from each supplier, university leadership, faculty, staff and students are invited to join the celebration. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour through the new simulation clinic, with four stations highlighting the upgrades and their benefits to students.
This comprehensive upgrade ensures that Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine remains at the forefront of dental education, providing students with the cutting-edge instruments, equipment, technology and training to excel in their future careers.