New Virtual reality frees patients from dental pain and anxiety

Physicians are investigating the use of VR glasses in the treatment of dentists
In fact, people should visit a dentist at regular intervals to check the health of their teeth. For example, the teeth can be cleaned and the formation of holes can be avoided. However, there are also many people who have great fears or even a phobia before a visit to the dentist. Researchers have now found that using virtual reality can help alleviate anxiety and pain.

Researchers at the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter found that virtual reality reduces the fears and phobias of visiting a dentist. This allows affected people, despite their fears, to visit a dentist and get treatment. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Environment and Behavior".

Dentist visits are important to the health of our teeth. However, there are many people who have great fears or even a phobia in front of the dentist. A combined dental treatment with VR glasses can help to overcome such fears and reduce pain. (Image: vadymvdrobot / fotolia.com)

Patients use a VR headset during their visit to the dentist
The research team worked together with a dental practice for the current study. So the experts wanted to determine whether the use of virtual reality makes the visit to a dentist more bearable for patients with fears. During the visit to the dentist, the participants wore a so-called VR headset that gave them a virtual walk on the beach, explain the experts. Alternatively, they could also take a walk through an anonymous virtual city.

Virtual walk on the beach reduces anxiety and pain
The virtual treatment can be easily performed in the dentist's office. When the patients took a virtual walk on the beach, they suffered less anxiety and less pain, explain the authors. In addition, these people also had a more positive attitude towards treatment one week after the visit to the dentist, compared to patients with standard care, the researchers add.

A virtual walk through a city did not lead to the advantages previously identified
The physicians were also able to state that it is not enough to put patients into virtual reality in general. When participants visited an unknown city in virtual reality, they did not experience the same benefits as a virtual beach visit. The walk through the virtual city did not lead to the expected improved results, the researchers say. The reason is that the distraction is not strong enough. The environment must be inviting and relaxing for the patient, explains author Dr. Sabine Pahl from the University of Plymouth.

People are particularly relaxed when they are at the virtual sea
It would be interesting to translate this approach into other contexts where people use virtual reality, for example, in the workplace or in various health problems, the researchers say. A particularly strong influence in the virtual reality seems to have water. People were happiest or most relaxed when they were at the virtual sea, author Dr. Mathew White from the University of Exeter. This insight could be used to help people in potentially stressful health contexts.

Does virtual reality have a similar calming effect as the right nature??
There have been other studies that have examined the positive effects of nature on humans. For example, a study from South Korea found that workers who were able to see the forest out of their office during work experience less stress and were generally happier with their work, say the experts.

Walks through the forest improve short-term memory
Actual walks through the forest relax the human mind. The researchers found that such walks improve short-term memory by twenty percent. The team now hopes to find out how virtual reality in other medical settings can ease pain and stress for patients, the experts explain. (As)