VR technology found effective in reducing dental anxiety in paediatric patients

Hong Kong SAR: A recent systematic review and meta-analysis study has found that virtual reality (VR) technology can be an effective intervention for reducing dental anxiety in paediatric patients.

The study, conducted by researchers from the School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, analysed 12 randomized controlled trials involving 818 participants that tested the effectiveness of VR distraction interventions in reducing dental anxiety in children. Results indicated that VR distraction interventions significantly reduced dental anxiety, pain, and heart rate in pediatric patients during dental treatment.

The study also revealed that the evidence of VR in managing dental anxiety may become weak due to publication bias. Therefore, more well-designed and high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the optimal way to deliver VR interventions in paediatric dental clinics.

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Dental anxiety is common among children and can affect their pain perception, cooperation, and willingness to undergo dental treatment. While pharmacological interventions are effective, non-pharmacological interventions such as distraction interventions have gained popularity.

Distraction interventions can divert patients’ attention from the dental treatment stimuli, thereby reducing anxiety. VR, a novel distraction strategy, has emerged as a promising intervention for reducing anxiety.

VR allows patients to interact with a computer-generated world and completely block out real-world stimuli, offering a higher level of immersion to users than traditional audio-visual distraction techniques.

Results and Findings

The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that virtual reality distraction interventions are effective in reducing dental anxiety, pain and heart rate in paediatric patients undergoing dental treatment.

These findings are consistent with previous studies, which have also found VR to be an effective method for reducing anxiety in various clinical settings. The immersive nature of VR, which allows patients to be transported to a virtual environment that is entirely different from the dental treatment setting, appears to be a significant factor in its effectiveness.

The study also highlights the need for further research to optimize the delivery of VR interventions in paediatric dental clinics.

While the current study’s findings are promising, there is a need for larger, well-designed RCTs to determine the optimal way to deliver VR interventions in dental clinics.

According to the researchers, future studies should also consider the long-term effects of VR interventions and the potential for publication bias, which may affect the validity of the results.

Future Implications

The study’s findings have significant clinical implications for the management of dental anxiety in paediatric patients. The use of VR distraction interventions could offer a viable alternative to pharmacological interventions, which may be associated with adverse effects and increased healthcare costs.

Furthermore, VR interventions can be easily incorporated into dental practices, as they require minimal additional equipment and can be administered by dental professionals without specialized training.

Read the full article: Effectiveness of virtual reality distraction interventions to reduce dental anxiety in paediatric patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.