Virtual tool for development of psychomotor skills and comparing psychomotor skill performance

A method to identify differences between a dental preparation and/or restoration and an ideal dental preparation and/or restoration, the method comprising the actions of:

• obtaining a model tooth digitized file and an ideal tooth digitized file, which was created from the model tooth digitized file;
• rendering a three-dimensional representation of the model tooth digitized file on a screen of a haptic sub-system;
• selecting one of a plurality of dental tool simulations, wherein the selected dental tool simulations defines operations and haptic feedback for a hand-held device;
• utilizing the hand-held device simulating the selected dental tool, making physical movements with the hand-held device that result in virtually augmenting the three-dimensional representation of the model tooth digitized file using the hand-held device in accordance with the selected dental tool simulation to create an augmented tooth digitized file, wherein the hand-held device receives physical haptic feedback, wherein the physical haptic feedback is commensurate to simulating the feel of the actual activities of the particular selected dental tool as though interacting with an actual physical model tooth;
• converting the augmented tooth digitized file as necessary to ensure compatibility with the ideal tooth digitized file;
• comparing the converted augmented tooth digitized file to the ideal tooth digitized file;
• generating a comparison score indicating the differences between the converted augmented tooth digitized file and the ideal tooth digitized file;
• and
• again rendering the three-dimensional representation of the model tooth digitized file on the screen of the haptic sub-system, whereby the user can start over again with the model tooth.

A system that identifies differences between dental preparations and/or restorations and an ideal dental preparation and/or restoration, the system comprising:

• a scanning sub-system configured to scan an intraoral or freestanding tooth to generate a model digitized file;
• a compare sub-system configured to interface with the scanning sub-system to receive the model tooth digitized file;
• a converter sub-system configured to interface with the compare sub-system to receive the model tooth digitized file and to convert the model tooth digitized file, wherein the model tooth digitized file is converted to a converted model tooth digitized file that is modified in one or more of the following manners:
• scaled, cropped and/or reduced in size;
• a haptic sub-system configured to receive the converted model tooth digitized file and to present a 3D rendering of the model tooth represented in the converted model tooth digitized file on a screen, the haptic sub-system including a hand-held tool and a tool simulator that simulates one of a plurality of dental tools, wherein each of the plurality of simulated dental tools defines a tool operation and a haptic feedback for the dental tool, and further enables a first individual to perform physical actions with physical feedback device commensurate to simulating the feel of the actual activities of the particular selected tool as though interacting with an actual physical model tooth and that enables virtual augmentations to the model tooth to create an augmented digitized file;
• the converter sub-system is further configured to receive the augmented digitized file and convert the augmented digitized file as necessary;
• and
• the compare sub-system is further configured to receive the converted augmented digitized file from the converter sub-system and to compare the converted augmented digitized file to an ideal digitized file and generate a comparison score indicating the differences between the converted augmented digitized file and the ideal augmented digitized file;
• and
• if the score is below a threshold value, the haptic sub-system is further configured to receive the converted model tooth digitized file and to again present a 3D rendering of the model tooth represented in the converted model tooth digitized file on the screen, whereby the user can start over again with the model tooth.