Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 3504-505, Viseu, Portugal.
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 3504-505, Viseu, Portugal.
BMC Oral Health. 2023 Dec 12;23(1):995. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03595-7.
Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an innovative tool in medicine and dentistry, improving anxiety and pain management in children. The immersive and interactive environments of VR technology facilitate positive engagement of young patients during dental procedures via distraction, potentially reducing anxiety levels and improving treatment experience. The aim of this review was to provide current evidence-based guidance on the usage of VR in the clinical practice of paediatric dentistry.
A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines with the following research question using the PICO format: Does VR (I) effectively manage anxiety and pain (O) during a paediatric dental consultation (P) compared to alternative behavioural control techniques (C)? PubMed/Medline®, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were searched and analysed.
A total of 22 randomised control trials were included in this review. These studies have shown that VR is a highly effective method of behaviour management, successfully alleviating pain and anxiety in children during dental treatment, surpassing traditional tools. Selected studies included participants with a large age range and dental procedures varied greatly, from first consultations to infiltration of local anaesthetic and other invasive procedures. VR was mostly used during treatment delivery and different immersive VR techniques were considered. Behaviour, anxiety and pain scales were used to determine efficacy and patient satisfaction.
VR offers an engaging and immersive experience, effectively diverting patients' attention away from the clinical environment, fostering a positive and enjoyable treatment experience. However, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of existing studies and the need for further research to enhance the understanding of VR's full potential in paediatric dentistry.
虚拟现实（VR）已成为医学和牙科领域的创新工具，可改善儿童的焦虑和疼痛管理。VR 技术的沉浸式和互动环境通过分散注意力促进年轻患者在牙科手术中的积极参与，从而有可能降低焦虑水平并改善治疗体验。本综述的目的是提供 VR 在儿科牙科临床实践中使用的当前基于证据的指导。
根据 PRISMA 指南进行了系统评价，并使用 PICO 格式提出了以下研究问题：与替代行为控制技术（C）相比，VR（I）在儿科牙科咨询期间（O）是否有效地管理焦虑和疼痛（P）？搜索并分析了 PubMed/Medline®、SCOPUS 和 Web of Science 数据库。
本综述共纳入 22 项随机对照试验。这些研究表明，VR 是一种非常有效的行为管理方法，可成功减轻儿童在牙科治疗过程中的疼痛和焦虑，优于传统工具。选定的研究包括年龄范围广泛的参与者，并且牙科手术差异很大，从首次咨询到局部麻醉浸润和其他侵入性手术。VR 主要在治疗过程中使用，并且考虑了不同的沉浸式 VR 技术。行为、焦虑和疼痛量表用于确定疗效和患者满意度。
VR 提供了一种引人入胜和身临其境的体验，有效地将患者的注意力从临床环境转移开，培养了积极和愉快的治疗体验。然而，重要的是要认识到现有研究的局限性以及需要进一步研究以增强对 VR 在儿科牙科中全部潜力的理解。
