Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Dental Treatment

NCT07636330 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: H25-03739
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether immersive virtual reality (VR) reduces pain and anxiety in children aged 6-12 years during routine dental procedures. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does VR distraction reduce self-reported pain and anxiety during dental treatment compared to standard behaviour guidance?
• Does VR distraction improve children's post-procedural experience and willingness to return for future dental visits? Researchers will compare children using a VR headset during dental treatment to children receiving standard behaviour guidance techniques. Participants will:
• Attend one routine dental appointment
• Be randomly assigned to wear a VR headset or receive standard care during their procedure
• Complete brief questionnaires about pain and anxiety before and after treatment
• Receive a follow-up phone call 24-72 hours after the appointment

Conditions

Pain; Dental Anxiety in Children

Keywords

Distraction; Virtual reality; Pediatric Dentistry; Dental Anxiety; Procedural Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Self-Reported Pain During Dental Procedure Using Faces Pain Scale

  Child self-reported pain assessed using the Faces Pain Scale (0-10 where 10 is the maximum pain felt): The child is asked to point to the Faces picture that reflect the pain level that they are feeling. 0= Relaxed and comfortable; 2-4= Mild discomfort; 6-8= Moderate pain; 10= Severe pain or discomfort Baseline pre-procedural and immediately following the dental procedure.

  Baseline Pre-procedural and Immediately following the dental procedure (same day)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Physiological Stress Response (Salivary alpha-Amylase) salivary alpha-amylase level (pcg/L) baseline at the dental consultation appointment at time for the consent for the study and immediately following the dental procedure

  baseline at the dental consultation appointment at time for the consent for the study and immediately following the dental procedure

• Physiological Stress Response (Heart Rate)

  Baseline (Before the procedure), during and Immediately following the dental procedure

Study Arms (2)

VR Distraction

EXPERIMENTAL

Children wear an immersive VR headset during routine dental treatment as a non-pharmacological distraction intervention. The VR headset provides an engaging visual and auditory environment to reduce pain and anxiety during the procedure.

Device: Immersive Virtual Reality Headset

Standard Behaviour Guidance

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Children receive standard behaviour guidance techniques commonly used in pediatric dentistry, such as tell-show-do and positive reinforcement, without VR distraction.

Behavioral: Standard Behaviour Guidance

Interventions

Immersive Virtual Reality Headset DEVICE

A commercially available immersive VR headset used as a non-pharmacological distraction tool during routine pediatric dental procedures. Children wear the headset throughout their treatment to engage with an interactive virtual environment designed to reduce pain and anxiety.

VR Distraction

Standard Behaviour Guidance BEHAVIORAL

Standard behaviour guidance techniques routinely used in pediatric dentistry, including tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and distraction through verbal communication and a TV screen. No virtual reality headset is used.

Standard Behaviour Guidance

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children aged 6 to 12 years
• Scheduled for a routine invasive dental procedure
• Accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
• Parent/guardian able to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Children with visual or hearing impairments that would prevent use of the VR headset
• Children with a history of motion sickness
• Children with severe cognitive or developmental delays that would prevent completion of study measures
• Children who have previously participated in this study
• Children requiring emergency dental treatment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia: lead

Study Sites (1)

UBC Graduate Pediatric Dental Clinic

Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain; Pain, Procedural

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Randa Soussou

CONTACT

604-822-6819; randa.soussou@dentistry.ubc.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: University of British Columbia

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 22, 2026
• First Posted: June 9, 2026
• Study Start: June 2, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 18, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027
• Last Updated: June 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Locations

CA (1)