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Original Research

Open Access

Assessing the effect of virtual reality gamification on anxiety and pain management during extraction of MIH-affected lower first permanent molars in pediatric patients

  • Rasa Mladenovic1,2,*,
  • Mirko Mikic3
  • Zoran Arsic4
  • Ivana Stosovic Kalezic4
  • Filip Djordjevic4,5

1Department for Dentistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

2Dental Medicine Clinic Dentokids, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

3Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro

4Department for Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia

5Dental Medicine Clinic Radix, 37000 Krusevac, Serbia

DOI: 10.22514/jocpd.2024.146

Submitted: 08 September 2024 Accepted: 18 October 2024

Online publish date: 25 November 2024

*Corresponding Author(s): Rasa Mladenovic E-mail: rasa.mladenovic@med.pr.ac.rs

Abstract

Dental anxiety can be triggered by previous negative experiences, fear of pain, or loss of control, leading to avoidance of dental treatments and worsening oral health. To alleviate anxiety, various pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures are applied, including distraction as a cognitive-behavioral approach. One innovative method of distraction is gamification, which involves the use of Virtual Reality (VR) to redirect patients’ focus to something relaxing instead of the treatment itself. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of gamified virtual reality in reducing anxiety and pain during the extraction of molar-incisal hypomineralization (MIH) affected lower first molars under local anaesthesia. In prospective study, gamified virtual reality was applied during the extraction of lower first molars in 56 subjects using the split-mouth method. Through VR goggles, patients were immersed in a virtual video game world to distract them from the dental procedure. The results showed a significant reduction in pain levels during anaesthesia and tooth extraction in subjects using VR. Additionally, these patients had lower heart rate values during the intervention compared to the standard procedure. Most subjects expressed satisfaction with the VR experience, stating that VR technology helped alleviate their fear of the procedure and diverted their thoughts from the treatment itself. This research highlights the potential of gamified virtual reality in reducing anxiety and improving patient experience during the extraction of of MIH affected lower first molars.


Keywords

Virtual reality; Distraction; Gamification; Tooth extraction; MIH


Cite and Share

Rasa Mladenovic,Mirko Mikic,Zoran Arsic,Ivana Stosovic Kalezic,Filip Djordjevic. Assessing the effect of virtual reality gamification on anxiety and pain management during extraction of MIH-affected lower first permanent molars in pediatric patients. Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2024.doi:10.22514/jocpd.2024.146.

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