Impact of Virtual Reality Distraction Technique on Dental Anxiety during short Dental Procedure among 5-8 Years Children: A Non-Randomised Clinical Trial

Introduction: An effective dental treatment revolves around the efficient management of dental related stress and anxiety of the patient. The development of Virtual Reality (VR) has been paving its way on dental treatments and in patient education. VR helps in forgetting the likely environment and it creates an anxiety free environment. Thus the study aims to assess the impact of virtual reality distraction technique on dental anxiety using facial image scale during short dental procedure in pediatric patients. Material & Methods: The study is a non-randomized clinical trial.75 children in the age group of 5 year to 8 year requiring class I restoration in mandibular primary molars were selected. The child's anxiety was recorded using the facial image scale before and after the restorative procedure using VR glasses. Pre and post interventional anxiety level was analyzed statistically using version SPSS version 20.0. ANOVA was used for intra group comparison. Paired student t-test was used to compare the pre and post interventional anxiety level. P value was set at 0.05. Results: The results showed that there exists a statistically significant difference between the pre and post anxiety level of the child when using of virtual reality glasses. Conclusion: The usage of VR as a distraction tool helps the child to overcome dental anxiety during minor dental procedure. It can be used as a best tool to rapport patient cooperation and establishes a better bond between the patient and the pediatric dentist.