## 4 Applications of AR and VR in Dentistry
### AR and VR in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery  
Oral pathologies such as oral squamous cell carcinoma, cleft lip and palate, and congenital abnormalities are common findings that are treated by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Many of these pathologies are treated by surgeons using their manual dexterity along with their years of experience. In recent years, many technological advancements have taken place in the field of surgery such as the introduction of augmented and virtual reality [24]. The application of AR and VR technology has been explored in many surgical fields of medical science, such as laparoscopic surgery, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery. In dentistry, the use of AR in oral and maxillofacial surgery has focused on the placement of dental implants, craniofacial surgery, and orthognathic surgery. The use of AR technology allows the users to combine information and images to bring them to reality. The training period of surgical residents is a crucial phase where the residents learn and practice their surgical skills on different simulators before actually performing on patients. [PERSON] et al. [14] evaluated the effectiveness of virtual reality in surgical training and found that many of the surgeons were not confident about performing the surgeries. With the introduction and implementation of VR technologies, this has resulted in surgical residents improving their knowledge and confidence whilst performing the surgeries. VR is an additional tool that has immense importance in further enhancing the skills already possessed by surgeons to achieve optimal outcomes that boost confidence amongst surgeons. Inferior alveolar block anesthesia is one of the most fundamental anesthesia used in dentistry to operate on the mandibular teeth for procedures such as root canal treatment, extractions, dental fillings, and complex surgeries. Many factors have been associated with the failure of inferior alveolar block anesthesia such as poor technique, and anatomical variations. In a study by [PERSON] et al. [17], AR was used for inferior alveolar block anesthesia and it was concluded the use of AR in this block anesthesia can improve the effectiveness when block anesthesia is used alone. AR helps in improving the precision and accuracy of using block anesthesia as the images that are directly generated from the patient help in converting those images to reality. One of the most widely studied applications of AR and VR in dentistry is orthognathic surgery. The prime advantage of using AR-guided navigation tools is that it provides real surgical images and virtual surgical plans to guide through the treatment plan. One of the important surgical procedures in orthognathic surgery is mandibular angle split osteotomy. Mandibular angle split osteotomy is a cosmetic surgical procedure that aims to improve the prominent mandibular angle, thereby improving the aesthetics of the patient. In their study, [PERSON] et al. [18] used AR for mandibular angle split osteotomy and found that the use of AR enhances the translocation of the maxilla in orthognathic surgery. The use of such AR systems allows surgeons to operate real-time streaming video images that allow them to plan the surgery and study the anatomical structures of the patient, thus enhancing the accuracy of such orthognathic surgical procedures. The use of AR has also been studied in distraction osteogenesis. In a study by [PERSON] et al. [25], patients suffering from hemifacial microsomia were treated with an intraoral distractor using AR and it was found that AR was more accurate in proper positioning of the osteotomy planes as compared to the conventional methods. Additionally, one study explored the use of AR systems where images were overlaid, which allowed surgeons to observe and follow the virtual surgical plans to reposition the bones of the patient after performing maxillary osteoarthritis [5].