Restorative
Carla Angela A. Alvarez, DMD
Pediatric Dental Resident
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
Hermosa Beach, California, United States
Sarah Darst, DDS
USC
Alexander Alcaraz, DMD
Program Director, Advanced Pediatric Dentistry
University of Southern California, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
Los Angeles, California, United States
Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on the behavior and anxiety of pediatric patients during restorative dental appointments.
Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial with a crossover design. Patients ages 8-15 requiring two or more appointments for restorative dental treatment were recruited at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, Los Angeles, CA. The enrolled patients served as their own experimental and control groups. The participants were randomly assigned to wear the VR system for one appointment and receive basic behavior guidance techniques for the other appointment. Behavior was assessed using the Frankl and Houpt Scale. Anxiety was measured by heart rate at specific time points throughout the restorative procedure. Data was collected, analyzed, and suggestions were made to improve the protocol for future studies.
Results: Five patients enrolled in the pilot study. Two patients had improved behavior with lower heart rate trends while wearing VR. One patient had consistently positive behavior throughout the study with variable heart rate trends. Two patients were unable to tolerate the VR system and dropped out prematurely.
Conclusion: VR may improve behavior and decrease anxiety in pediatric patients during dental restorative treatment. The limitations and complications from the pilot study helped refine the protocol, study design, and data collection methods for a future randomized control trial.