Use of Augmented Reality in Alleviating Dental Anxiety among Paediatric Patients: A Randomised Control Study

Abstract

Introduction: The management of anxiety and fears in patients receiving medical treatment has always been a significant issue. Patients with dental anxiety are challenging to manage in dental offices, as they may require more time for treatment and are often dissatisfied with their dental care, especially among paediatric dental patients. Although Augmented Reality (AR) has not been widely used in dentistry, it is theoretically believed to have a role in alleviating dental anxiety among paediatric patients. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the level of dental anxiety among children aged 6-14 years, based on age, gender, and treatment status. Additionally, the study aims to investigate whether the preoperative use of AR can alleviate anxiety. The effect of AR on anxiety was evaluated using Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Materials and Methods: This randomised controlled study was conducted at a private dental clinic in Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey. The study duration was two months, from March 2021 to May 2021. The study design aimed to compare the level of anxiety among paediatric patients in an AR exposure condition with those in a control condition. A total of 511 paediatric patients were randomly assigned to either the control group or the intervention condition (i.e., preoperative AR experience versus no preoperative AR experience). A questionnaire survey, including demographic questions and the DAS, was conducted to compare the DAS scores between patients who engaged in the AR experience and those who did not. The data were analysed using the Chi-square test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The control group consisted of 134 females and 118 males, while the experimental group consisted of 139 females and 120 males. The mean DAS scores differed based on age (p<0.001). The median DAS score of the 10-14 years age group was lower than that of the 6-8 years age group. The mean DAS score was significantly lower in the group that received AR intervention compared to the control group (p<0.001). The median DAS score was 6 for those with AR experience, while it was 10 for those without it. Conclusion: The preoperative use of AR applications was found to be effective in reducing dental anxiety among children in this study. AR shows promise as a tool that has not been sufficiently utilised among anxiety-relieving techniques for paediatric patients.