Virtual Reality Distraction During Restorative Dental Treatment

Qassim University13 enrolled

Overview

This split-mouth randomized clinical trial will evaluate the effect of virtual reality (VR) distraction on pain perception, anxiety, physiological responses, and patient experience during local anaesthesia administration and restorative dental treatment in adults. Participants requiring bilateral Class I restorative treatment will receive treatment with and without VR distraction in randomized order. Pain, anxiety, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and patient-reported experience will be compared between the two conditions to determine whether VR improves patient comfort during routine dental care.

Dental anxiety and pain associated with local anesthesia and restorative procedures remain important barriers to seeking dental care and may negatively affect the overall patient experience. Virtual reality (VR) distraction has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention that provides immersive audiovisual stimulation and may reduce procedural anxiety and pain by diverting patients' attention from the dental procedure. This study is designed as a split-mouth randomized clinical trial in adult patients requiring bilateral Class I restorative treatment. Each participant will receive restorative treatment under two conditions: conventional treatment without VR and treatment with VR distraction, with the order of interventions randomized. The split-mouth design allows each participant to serve as their own control, minimizing inter-individual variability. The primary objectives are to evaluate the effect of VR distraction on anxiety and pain perception during local anesthesia administration and restorative dental treatment. Secondary objectives include assessment of physiological responses (pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation), patient comfort, unpleasant symptoms, treatment experience, awareness of the clinical surroundings, preference for future VR use, and the influence of VR on dental clinic selection. The findings will contribute to the evidence regarding the effectiveness of immersive VR as an adjunctive, non-pharmacological approach for improving patient experience during routine restorative dental procedures.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Conditions

Dental Anxiety Pain

Interventions

Virtual Reality HeadsetDEVICE

Participants will wear an immersive virtual reality headset during local anesthesia administration and restorative dental treatment. The virtual reality intervention is used as a non-pharmacological distraction technique to reduce pain perception and anxiety and to improve the overall patient experience during dental treatment.

Standard Dental TreatmentOTHER

Participants will receive conventional local anesthesia and restorative dental treatment without virtual reality distraction. All clinical procedures will be performed according to the standard treatment protocol and will serve as the control condition for comparison with the virtual reality intervention.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (≥18 years) requiring bilateral Class I restorative dental treatment. * Presence of bilateral Class I carious lesions extending to the inner one-third of dentin (D3) with symptoms of reversible pulpitis. * Willing and able to provide written informed consent. * Willing to participate in the study and comply with study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * Children (\<18 years). * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Class III or higher. * Deep Class I carious lesions with pulpal involvement. * Mentally or medically compromised patients. * Patients presenting with acute dental pain, such as acute pulpitis.

Locations (1)

Professor Muhammad Zubair Ahmad

Ar Rass, Al-Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety will be assessed using the 5-item Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Each item is scored from 1 (not anxious) to 5 (extremely anxious), with a total score range of 5-25; higher scores indicate greater anxiety.

Time frame: Baseline (pre-procedure) and immediately after each treatment session (post-procedure) on Day 1.

Pain Perception

Pain intensity will be measured using a 0-10 cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) following local anaesthesia administration and will be compared between the virtual reality and conventional treatment conditions. Higher scores indicate more pain.

Time frame: Immediately after local anaesthesia administration during each treatment session on day 1.

Secondary Outcomes

Pulse rate

Pulse rate (beats per minute) will be recorded during dental treatment under virtual-reality distraction and during conventional treatment.

Time frame: Before the dental procedure, immediately after local anaesthesia administration, and immediately after completion of the dental procedure on Day 1.

Systolic blood pressure

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) will be recorded during dental treatment under virtual reality distraction and conventional treatment.

Time frame: Before the dental procedure, immediately after local anesthesia administration, and immediately after completion of the dental procedure on Day 1.

Diastolic blood pressure

Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) will be recorded during dental treatment under virtual-reality distraction and during conventional treatment.

Time frame: Before the dental procedure, immediately after local anesthesia administration, and immediately after completion of the dental procedure on Day 1.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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