Headsets vs. dim lights: which soothes dental fear in special kids?
NCT ID NCT07503249
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests two ways to reduce dental anxiety in 100 children aged 10-13 with borderline intellectual functioning. One group uses a virtual reality headset during dental treatment, while the other group experiences a sensory-adapted room with dim lights and quiet tools. The goal is to see which approach helps more kids complete a filling within 30 minutes without distress.
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 headset and sensory-adapted dental environment
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help children with borderline intellectual functioning get dental care without fear.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The interventions may not work for all children or in all dental settings.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 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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11 to 13 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Age of participants between 10 and 13 years * Diagnosis of Borderline Intellectual Func-tioning (BIF) confirmed by experienced - neuropsychiatrists according to DSM-5 criteria * Moderate dental anxiety, defined by a DAS score between 9 and 12 * Presence of at least one tooth with a Class I carious lesion requiring restorative treatment Exclusion Criteria: * Absence of dental anxiety (DAS score = 4) * The presence of mild anxiety (DAS score = 5-8) * High or severe anxiety (DAS score ≥ 13)
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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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Oasi Research Institute
Troina, EN, 94018, Italy
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