The effect of virtual reality during dental treatment on child anxiety andbehavior

Virtual reality, a three-dimensional computer generated world, has been sho wn to relax adults during dental treatment. The purpose of this study was t o investigate the effect of virtual reality on the behavior and anxiety of children during dental treatment. The behavior, anxiety and heart rate of t wenty-six children, ages five to seven years were evaluated for the first f ive minutes of two restorative treatment visits. Thirteen children viewed v irtual reality at their first restorative visit and not the second, and thi rteen children viewed virtual reality at the second restorative visit and n ot the first. Before and immediately following the restorative visits, each child was instructed to draw a human figure. The restorative appointments were video recorded and heart rate monitored. The drawings and videotapes w ere rated independently by two examiners. The Koppitz method of evaluating drawings was used to measure anxiety. The Frankl behavior rating scale was used to evaluate behavior. Differences (ANOVA) in behavior (p less than or equal to 0.50) and anxiety (p less than or equal to 0.65) were not signific ant. The overall pulse rate was significantly lower (ANOVA p less than or e qual to 0.001) when the child was wearing glasses and viewing virtual reali ty. In conclusion, virtual reality during dental treatment had no significa nt effect on the behavior or anxiety but significantly reduced the pulse.