Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Behavioral Adjustment and Dental Fear in Children

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of virtual reality on behavioral adjustment and dental fear in children. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and a control group. The statistical population consisted of children aged 8–12 years who attended pediatric dental centers in the study area. From this population, 30 children were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The research instruments included the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Initially, both groups completed the research instruments as a pretest. Subsequently, the experimental group used a virtual reality headset providing age-appropriate audiovisual content while receiving dental treatment, whereas the control group received routine dental care without virtual reality. After the intervention, both groups completed the posttest measures. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS version 26. The results indicated that, after controlling for pretest scores, virtual reality significantly reduced dental fear in children. In addition, a significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups in behavioral adjustment, with children in the experimental group demonstrating better behavioral adjustment at posttest. Overall, virtual reality may be considered a non-pharmacological and minimally invasive approach for reducing dental fear and improving behavioral adjustment among children in dental settings, thereby contributing to a more positive dental treatment experience.