Comparison of Virtual Reality Glasses vs On-screen Distraction Technique in Reduction of Pediatric Dental Anxiety: An In Vivo Study
Seema Bargale, Princy S Thomas, Brijesh Tailor, Anshula Deshpande
Abstract
Aims and objectives: To evaluate and compare virtual reality (VR) glasses vs on-screen audiovisual distraction techniques in managing anxious pediatric patients during dental procedures at sequential dental visits. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in the age group of 4-8 years anxious children who reported to the department. The informed written consent from the parents was taken. The 40 children were divided into two groups: group I-on-screen distraction aid and group II-audiovisual distraction aid (VR glasses) with 20 patients in each group. Each child in all the subgroups had gone through three dental visits. Child anxiety level at each visit was assessed by using a combination of anxiety measuring parameters. Results: Chi-square and Student's t-test (two-tailed, independent) analyses were used to find the significance of study parameters on a categorical scale and continuous scale between two groups (intergroup analysis) on metric parameters. It revealed that VR glasses audiovisual aid group showed a statistically highly significant difference from the on-screen method. Conclusion: Audiovisual distraction aid was found to be a more effective mode of distraction in the management of anxious children when compared to the on-screen distraction method.