An interventional study of Immersive Virtual Reality Headset and Standard Behaviour Guidance in Dental Anxiety in Children and Pain, sponsored by University of British Columbia. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 6 Years to 12 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-02.
Sponsored by University of British Columbia · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether immersive virtual reality (VR) reduces pain and anxiety in children aged 6-12 years during routine dental procedures. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare children using a VR headset during dental treatment to children receiving standard behaviour guidance techniques.
Participants will:
10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is above the median of 66 across 8,493 interventional studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →University of British Columbia is the lead sponsor of 1,339 studies on the registry; 259 are open to participants now.
Of its 6 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 1 (17%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Children wear an immersive VR headset during routine dental treatment as a non-pharmacological distraction intervention. The VR headset provides an engaging visual and auditory environment to reduce pain and anxiety during the procedure.
Device: Immersive Virtual Reality Headset
Children receive standard behaviour guidance techniques commonly used in pediatric dentistry, such as tell-show-do and positive reinforcement, without VR distraction.
Behavioral: Standard Behaviour Guidance
A commercially available immersive VR headset used as a non-pharmacological distraction tool during routine pediatric dental procedures. Children wear the headset throughout their treatment to engage with an interactive virtual environment designed to reduce pain and anxiety.
Standard behaviour guidance techniques routinely used in pediatric dentistry, including tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and distraction through verbal communication and a TV screen. No virtual reality headset is used.
Self-Reported Pain During Dental Procedure Using Faces Pain Scale
Child self-reported pain assessed using the Faces Pain Scale (0-10 where 10 is the maximum pain felt): The child is asked to point to the Faces picture that reflect the pain level that they are feeling. 0= Relaxed and comfortable; 2-4= Mild discomfort; 6-8= Moderate pain; 10= Severe pain or discomfort Baseline pre-procedural and immediately following the dental procedure.
Time frame: Baseline Pre-procedural and Immediately following the dental procedure (same day)
Physiological Stress Response (Salivary alpha-Amylase) salivary alpha-amylase level (U/L) baseline before any dental treatment and immediately following the dental procedure
Using a swab to collect for a full 60-90 seconds by resting the swab inside the mouth, or collect in intervals by re-introducing the swab into the mouth as needed, until the lower third of the swab is saturated (some participants may require longer than 90 seconds of total collection time). Salivary alpha-amylase level (U/L), measured at baseline (immediately prior to the start of the dental procedure) and again immediately following the dental procedure. Both samples are collected on the same day, during the single dental appointment.
Time frame: Salivary alpha-amylase level (U/L), measured at baseline (immediately prior to the start of the dental procedure) and again immediately following the dental procedure. Both samples are collected on the same day, during the single dental appointment.
Physiological Stress Response (Heart Rate)
Physiological markers of stress assessed via heart rate using a pulse oximeter device (pulse/minute)
Time frame: Baseline (Before the procedure), during and Immediately following the dental procedure
Plan to share: Undecided — A decision regarding individual participant data sharing has not yet been made. This study involves children (a vulnerable population) and data sharing plans will be determined in accordance with UBC Research Ethics Board requirements
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Jun 2026; primary completion for Jun 2027, 12 months later.
Of 3,731 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Pain, half reached primary completion within 10 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 23. This study's planned 12 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,830 studies reached it within 10 months; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 23.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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