VR goggles beat dentist fear in new study
NCT ID NCT05963750
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether using virtual reality (VR) during tooth extractions can lower anxiety in adults. 119 people having at least two teeth pulled under local anesthesia were randomly assigned to either use VR or not. Researchers measured anxiety before and during the procedure using two different questionnaires.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- virtual reality
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to ease anxiety during dental procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study. Results may not apply to everyone, and VR can cause side effects like motion sickness in some people.
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
-
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
-
119 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Nov 2021
- Finished
-
Jul 2022
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: \- Adults (\> 18 years old) coming for at least two dental extractions under local anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: * patients suffering of motion sickness, * claustrophobia, * uncontrolled epilepsy, * visual impairment, * hearing disability, * non-French speakers, * pregnant women, * protected adults * people followed by a psychiatrist whether for depression, bipolarity, schizophrenia * The day of the intervention, patients who had consumed anxiolytics
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anxiety are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
CHU Caen
Caen, Normandy, 14000, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can video games calm anxious teens?
- Can a group program teach teens to cope before therapy starts?
- Could a Patient's playlist take the sting out of nerve testing?
- Three spanish group sessions put a neuroscience twist on anxiety therapy
- Can a rewired EMDR therapy ease the mental toll of migration?
- Can yoga calm anxious minds and sharpen focus?