Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
BackgroundDental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a condition that affects approximately one-quarter of children and adolescents. It is a significant cause for pediatric patients to avoid dental care later in adulthood. Lack of patient cooperation due to DFA can create an environmen...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2023-11-01
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| Series: | JMIR Research Protocols |
| Online Access: | https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e49956 |
| _version_ | 1797632386440101888 |
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| author | Wenjia Wu Sylvie Le May Nicole Hung Olivier Fortin Christine Genest Maxime Francoeur Estelle Guingo Kate St-Arneault Annie Sylfra An Kateri Vu Janick Carmel Laurence Lessard Stephany Cara-Slavich Katheryn De Koven Julie Paquette Hunter Hoffman Marie-Eve Asselin |
| author_facet | Wenjia Wu Sylvie Le May Nicole Hung Olivier Fortin Christine Genest Maxime Francoeur Estelle Guingo Kate St-Arneault Annie Sylfra An Kateri Vu Janick Carmel Laurence Lessard Stephany Cara-Slavich Katheryn De Koven Julie Paquette Hunter Hoffman Marie-Eve Asselin |
| author_sort | Wenjia Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundDental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a condition that affects approximately one-quarter of children and adolescents. It is a significant cause for pediatric patients to avoid dental care later in adulthood. Lack of patient cooperation due to DFA can create an environment of stress, often obligating dentists to end appointments prematurely and consider alternative pharmacological treatment options. Virtual reality (VR) use during dental care, providing an immersive experience through sensory stimuli, is potentially an additional nonpharmacologic tool to better manage DFA in children with special health care needs (SHCN) undergoing dental procedures.
ObjectiveThis pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of VR immersion as a tool to reduce DFA in pediatric special needs patients undergoing dental procedures. The study also aims to gain insight on parent and health care provider perspectives on the use of VR during dental appointments.
MethodsThis pilot randomized controlled trial study will follow a parallel design including 2 groups: a control group (clinic’s standard care using a wall TV) and an experimental group (using a VR game). We will randomize 20 participants to either group. Recruitment will be carried out at the dental clinic of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, a tertiary-quaternary care center that mostly serves pediatric patients with SHCN. The primary outcome will be patient recruitment rates and completion rates of planned procedures. DFA in children will be assessed using both an observation-based proxy assessment with the Venham Anxiety and Behavior Rating Scale and physiological assessments using parameters such as change in heart rate and levels of salivary alpha-amylase as a stress biomarker before and 10 minutes after the procedure. Sociodemographic characteristics, measures of the levels of parent and health care professional satisfaction, occurrence of side effects, and any deviation from normal procedure length will also be collected. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, and effect sizes will be used for demographic and clinical variables and to present parent and health care professional satisfaction levels as well as procedural time.
ResultsThis study will be conducted from May 2023 to May 2024, with results expected to be available in December 2024.
ConclusionsThe pilot study will provide insight on the feasibility and acceptability of VR use in clinical dentistry to reduce DFA for pediatric patients with SHCN. This study will guide future research on VR use in pediatric dentistry and can serve as a framework for a larger randomized clinical trial.
Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05898100; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05898100
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/49956 |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:36:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11337cbc6d7a4e0e953668be09dbe5d1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1929-0748 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:36:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Research Protocols |
| spelling | doaj.art-11337cbc6d7a4e0e953668be09dbe5d12023-11-10T13:30:30ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Research Protocols1929-07482023-11-0112e4995610.2196/49956Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled TrialWenjia Wuhttps://orcid.org/0009-0005-2456-4972Sylvie Le Mayhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4106-6068Nicole Hunghttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1016-559XOlivier Fortinhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5268-6727Christine Genesthttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2897-7003Maxime Francoeurhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8652-4707Estelle Guingohttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3719-9765Kate St-Arneaulthttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6614-0490Annie Sylfrahttps://orcid.org/0009-0001-6212-2383An Kateri Vuhttps://orcid.org/0009-0009-2995-5410Janick Carmelhttps://orcid.org/0009-0005-5578-5647Laurence Lessardhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-2121-7048Stephany Cara-Slavichhttps://orcid.org/0009-0005-6374-1273Katheryn De Kovenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2408-191XJulie Paquettehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8752-4290Hunter Hoffmanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6934-3568Marie-Eve Asselinhttps://orcid.org/0009-0006-0352-7424 BackgroundDental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a condition that affects approximately one-quarter of children and adolescents. It is a significant cause for pediatric patients to avoid dental care later in adulthood. Lack of patient cooperation due to DFA can create an environment of stress, often obligating dentists to end appointments prematurely and consider alternative pharmacological treatment options. Virtual reality (VR) use during dental care, providing an immersive experience through sensory stimuli, is potentially an additional nonpharmacologic tool to better manage DFA in children with special health care needs (SHCN) undergoing dental procedures. ObjectiveThis pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of VR immersion as a tool to reduce DFA in pediatric special needs patients undergoing dental procedures. The study also aims to gain insight on parent and health care provider perspectives on the use of VR during dental appointments. MethodsThis pilot randomized controlled trial study will follow a parallel design including 2 groups: a control group (clinic’s standard care using a wall TV) and an experimental group (using a VR game). We will randomize 20 participants to either group. Recruitment will be carried out at the dental clinic of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, a tertiary-quaternary care center that mostly serves pediatric patients with SHCN. The primary outcome will be patient recruitment rates and completion rates of planned procedures. DFA in children will be assessed using both an observation-based proxy assessment with the Venham Anxiety and Behavior Rating Scale and physiological assessments using parameters such as change in heart rate and levels of salivary alpha-amylase as a stress biomarker before and 10 minutes after the procedure. Sociodemographic characteristics, measures of the levels of parent and health care professional satisfaction, occurrence of side effects, and any deviation from normal procedure length will also be collected. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, and effect sizes will be used for demographic and clinical variables and to present parent and health care professional satisfaction levels as well as procedural time. ResultsThis study will be conducted from May 2023 to May 2024, with results expected to be available in December 2024. ConclusionsThe pilot study will provide insight on the feasibility and acceptability of VR use in clinical dentistry to reduce DFA for pediatric patients with SHCN. This study will guide future research on VR use in pediatric dentistry and can serve as a framework for a larger randomized clinical trial. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05898100; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05898100 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/49956https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e49956 |
| spellingShingle | Wenjia Wu Sylvie Le May Nicole Hung Olivier Fortin Christine Genest Maxime Francoeur Estelle Guingo Kate St-Arneault Annie Sylfra An Kateri Vu Janick Carmel Laurence Lessard Stephany Cara-Slavich Katheryn De Koven Julie Paquette Hunter Hoffman Marie-Eve Asselin Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Research Protocols |
| title | Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | Effects of a Virtual Reality Game on Children’s Anxiety During Dental Procedures (VR-TOOTH): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | effects of a virtual reality game on children s anxiety during dental procedures vr tooth protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial |
| url | https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e49956 |
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