New study explores VR hypnosis for managing dental anxiety in children
New study explores VR hypnosis for managing dental anxiety in children
Dental anxiety is a widespread concern in paediatric dentistry, often leading to treatment interruption or even the complete avoidance of dental care. Nitrous oxide–oxygen inhaled sedation (NOIS) remains one of the most commonly used methods to alleviate anxiety and pain in children. However, researchers from France suggest that advances in virtual reality (VR) technology may offer a promising non-pharmacological alternative. By integrating VR with medical hypnosis, the approach could reduce anxiety and discomfort during appointments and make hypnotic techniques more accessible to dental practitioners.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr Nhat Minh Do, the project stems from both practical experience and a strong belief in the benefits of medical hypnosis: “We wanted to find a way to make hypnosis more accessible and reproducible so that it can help more children, even in settings where practitioners are not experts in hypnosis”.
“That’s why the idea of combining medical hypnosis with immersive VR was so appealing. We saw in VR a way to standardise the induction process and provide a multisensory experience that could help children disconnect from the dental environment. It was important for us to preserve the therapeutic essence of hypnosis while making it easier to apply it in daily paediatric dental care. This study is the result of that vision”, Dr Do explained.
The study, titled ‘Efficacy of virtual reality hypnosis versus conscious sedation with nitrous oxide in the management of dental anxiety in pediatric dentistry: Protocol for a prospective randomized controlled trial’, was published online in Trials.
