AI avatar video to help reduce anxiety and improve cooperation during children's dental numbing shots.
Artificial Intelligence-driven Avatar-based Video vs. Tell-show-do for Reducing Anxiety and Improving Cooperation in Children During Local Anesthesia: a Randomized Controlled Trial
This study will test whether a short AI-generated avatar video helps 5–7-year-old children feel less anxious and cooperate better during local anesthesia injections compared with the usual Tell-Show-Do explanation.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 70 (estimated) |
| Ages | 5 Years to 7 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Saint-Joseph University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Beirut) |
| Trial ID | NCT07449884 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized trial enrolls healthy children aged 5 to 7 who need local anesthesia for routine dental treatment and have not had prior dental anesthesia. Participants are randomly assigned to either a conventional Tell-Show-Do explanation delivered by the pediatric dentist or to watch a short AI-driven animated avatar video (the "Mini Dentist") that explains and demonstrates the procedure. Heart rate will be recorded at five standardized time points, and behavioral responses will be measured with the FLACC scale and self-reported Wong-Baker FACES pain scale, with injections standardized and performed by the same clinician. Video recordings will be scored by calibrated evaluators to provide objective behavioral data.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are medically healthy (ASA I) children aged 5–7 who are cooperative on exam, require non-urgent dental treatment with local anesthesia for the first time, and can understand and communicate.
Not a fit: Children with diagnosed anxiety or behavioral disorders, cognitive or developmental delays, hearing or vision impairments, prior experience with dental anesthesia, or those requiring a different anesthesia technique (e.g., inferior alveolar nerve block) are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the AI-avatar video could lower anxiety and improve cooperation during numbing injections, making the experience less distressing for young children and easier for dentists.
How similar studies have performed: Video-modeling and digital distraction techniques have shown some success in reducing pediatric dental anxiety, but AI-driven avatar interventions are relatively new and not yet widely tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 5 to 7 years * Medically healthy (ASA I) * Cooperative behavior during dental examination * No known allergy to local anesthetics * Require non-urgent dental treatment under local anesthesia * First-time experience receiving local anesthesia * Able to understand and communicate Exclusion Criteria: * History of epilepsy * Diagnosed anxiety or behavioral disorders * Cognitive or developmental delay * Hearing or visual impairment * Previous experience with dental anesthesia * Require inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: \-
Where this trial is running
Beirut
- Sint Joseph University of Beirut- Pediatric Dentistry clinic — Beirut, Lebanon (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Rita Melekian, Pediatric dentistry resident
- Email: rita.melekian@net.usj.edu.lb
- Phone: 71/895228
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.