Targeting stress, anxiety among adult dental patients with virtual reality
Virtual reality may help minimize physiological stress and anxiety among adult patients during dental treatment.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, researchers assigned 90 adult patients undergoing dental treatment to one of three groups: the first “virtual reality” group, in which patients were provided a virtual reality distraction during the first but not second visit; the second “virtual reality” group, in which patients were provided a virtual reality distraction during the second but not first visit and a control group, in which patients underwent traditional dental treatment without virtual reality as a means of distraction. They then measured the patients’ psychological anxiety levels, heart rates, oxygen saturation and stress three times per visit.
The researchers found that virtual reality reduced the patients’ heart rates, stress levels and psychological anxiety levels. There were no statistically significant changes in oxygen saturation levels between the groups.
The researchers concluded that virtual reality as a means of distraction may represent a novel strategy to decrease stress and anxiety levels among adult dental patients.
Read more: Journal of Clinical Medicine
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