Evaluation of a one session VR - enhanced Video exposure therapy for dental phobia. Diagnosed dental phobics will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) Psychoeducation + VR exposure (2) Psychoeducation + Video Control treatment. Prior to getting the therapy, participants will be evaluated with a questionnaire battery, diagnosed with a structured clinical interview and will participate in a psychophysiological symptom assessment. Then, after a 2-week waiting period, participants again fill in questionnaires, and the Intervention will take place. Within 2-weeks after the second questionnaire assessment participants will be screened with the structured interview again and will fill in questionnaires.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Virtual Reality and Video based Exposure Therapy
Video based health education covering common myths and false believes about dental surgeries
Change in Subjective Dental Anxiety
Assessed at time 0 (at inclusion) 1 (pre therapy, two weeks after inclusion), 2(post therapy, 2 weeks after time 1) and at follow up (4 month after time 0) with Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS, 4-item scale, range 4-20)
Time frame: 4 month
Change in Dysfunctional Dental Cognitions
Assessed with Dental Cognition Questionnaire (DCQ, 38 dichotomous items, range 0-38) Assessed at time 0 (at inclusion), time 1 (pre therapy, two weeks after time 0), time 2 (post therapy, 2 weeks after time 1) and at follow up (4 month after time 0)
Time frame: 4 months
Change in Psychophysiological defensive reactivity
Participants will take part in a passive Picture viewing paradigm. They will be exposed to dental anxiety related Pictures, generally negative pictures, neutral, and positive pictures. Outcome measures will be withdrawal-related motor responding (assessed with the startle-reflex), as well as heart frequency change towards the pictures, The task will be applied at inclusion (time 0) and post therapy (4 weeks after inclusion)
Time frame: 4 weeks
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