Wii improves dexterity- Ryan is so proud!

This article was in the Dec issue of Ask ADSA (a dental news letter magazine)- I didnt think ryan could wait for me to get out of bed on monday after he read it to give it to me- Ryan and I have spent many hours over the holidays but are proud to say we have beat Super Mario bros and have improved his dexterity!

Ask ASDA

Can Video Games Improve Dexterity in the Dental Chair?

Dear ASDA,

I found out that some of my dental student friends put "playing video games for manual dexterity" on their list of interests for their resume to dental school. I'm wondering, can playing video games really improve your dental hand skills?

Sincerely, Mario

Dear Mario,

You are probably thinking that your video game-obsessed friends are a little crazy from too much time in Mushroom Kingdom, but you might want to think again. Last year Iowa State University psychologist Douglas Gentile presented a study showing that playing video games can help surgeons improve their manual dexterity, resulting in being able to complete surgical procedures faster and with fewer mistakes.

The study showed that laparoscopic surgeons who played video games were 27% faster and made 37% fewer errors while performing advanced surgical procedures, compared to their colleagues who did not play video games.

Gentile mentions that while this study specifically deals with laparoscopic surgeons, these findings might hold true for dentists too.

"Surgeons need to be able to make fine motions, and dentists too, need to make small motions under tightly controlled conditions," Gentile said. "The mechanics of game play may help improve your coordination. Mechanics and structure are not entirely separate. The feedback loop between what you see and how you move and how you move in response to what you see is what we call hand-eye coordination. There is a link between those two levels of effect."

For those dental students who do not have much experience playing video games as a youth, it is not too late. Gentile mentions that anyone can start playing and

begin reaping the benefits.

Video games have already been used in dental schools to help teach dental skills. Video game developer BreakAway has developed the "Virtual Dentist Implant Training Simulation Program", a video game that helps students examine and interact with virtual dental implant patients. Feedback from dental students at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry was instrumental in developing a game that would be interesting and engaging.

So if you are looking to improve your dental skills over the winter break, you might want to treat yourself to a little rest and relaxation while playing a few of your favorite video games.

Sincerely,

Jim

Editor-in-Chief

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