Evaluation and comparison of the effectiveness of kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles to reduce dental anxiety in young children undergoing administration of local anesthesia

TL;DR

This study aims to compare kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles as tools to reduce anxiety in children during dental injections.

Contribution

The novelty lies in evaluating and comparing two specific non-pharmacological distraction tools for dental anxiety in children.

Findings

Kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles may effectively reduce anxiety during local anesthesia in children.

Non-pharmacological methods like distraction are cost-effective and child-friendly for dental procedures.

Abstract

Administration of local anesthesia via injection is the main reason for inducing anxiety in children and if not intervened it aggravates the anxiety in subsequent appointments. There are many approaches, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods that can be used to reduce children’s perception of pain and anxiety. A frequently used non-pharmacological behaviour management method to reduce anxiety and procedure pain is distraction. The rationale of distraction is to shift the attention to avert the brain from receiving unwanted stimulus which induce anxiousness. Many approaches including music, television, portable video games, virtual reality (VR) helmet, and virtual reality audio-visual eyewear, have been implemented so far. Kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles may help as distraction techniques in reducing the levels of anxiety caused during administration of local anesthesia. By the aid of which the operator may be able to make the dental experience child friendly and ultimately provide quality dental care to anxious children. Non pharmacological measures of reducing pain are cost effective and best means that can be used while performing dental procedures. This is a research protocol for a study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of kaleidoscope and virtual reality goggles to reduce dental anxiety in young children.