Can a phone app or VR goggles replace the needle fear for kids at the dentist?
NCT ID NCT07717229
First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two high-tech distraction methods — a biofeedback app called BrightHearts and virtual reality goggles — against standard verbal distraction for reducing anxiety in children aged 7 to 12 during a dental numbing injection. Researchers will measure heart rate and use anxiety scales to see which approach works best. The goal is to find a simple, non-drug way to help children stay calm and cooperative during dental procedures.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- BrightHearts biofeedback relaxation app and virtual reality distraction goggles
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these tools could offer drug-free ways to ease children's fear during dental procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 39 children, so results may not apply broadly. The effect may be modest or no better than standard distraction.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 39 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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7 to 12 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Children from 7 to 12 years 2. Children who have dental procedures that require an inferior alveolar nerve block injection. 3. Healthy Children. 4. Children who fall under Frankl's behavioral rating of 2 (negative) or 3 (positive) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Children with special health care needs 2. Children or parents who are unable or unwilling to cooperate with the study protocol or assessment
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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October University for Modern Science and Arts
RECRUITINGGiza, 12451, Egypt
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