Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 5 to 8

Using AR and VR glasses to help children feel less pain and anxiety during local dental anesthesia

Official title: The Effect of Augmented Reality Versus Virtual Reality Glasses as Distraction Techniques in Children During the Administration of Local Anesthesia A Randomized Clinical Trial

Run by Ain Shams University · NCT07060170 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project will try augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses to see if they help children aged 5–8 feel less pain and anxiety during local dental anesthesia.

More Dental Anxiety trials

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages5 Years to 8 Years
SexAll
Enrollment40 (estimated)
SponsorAin Shams University
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Cairo, Egypt)
StatusRecruiting
StartedDecember 1, 2024
Main results expectedJuly 31, 2025
Study endsAugust 30, 2025
Registry record updatedJuly 11, 2025
Trial IDNCT07060170 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Children aged 5–8 who are cooperative (Frankl behavior rating 3–4), healthy (ASA I), at normal weight for age, without anxiety disorders or prior local anesthetic exposure, and who need local anesthetic for deep caries in primary molars on both sides are ideal candidates.

Probably not a fit

Children with special health care needs, known anxiety or salivary gland disorders, those on corticosteroids, those who have previously received local anesthesia, or uncooperative children are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit from the tested interventions.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This single-center pediatric study compares augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses as audiovisual distraction during local anesthetic injections in children aged 5–8. After an introductory visit to familiarize children with the dental environment and confirm cooperation, participants attend two treatment visits in which they wear AR or VR glasses (one type per visit) while receiving local infiltration anesthesia. Researchers will collect saliva for biomarkers (salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol) and continuously record vital signs such as heart rate and oxygen saturation before and after anesthesia to measure physiological stress and pain responses. The within-subject design allows direct comparison of the two distraction methods in the same child at the Pediatric Dentistry Department of Ain Shams University in Cairo.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, these glasses could help children experience less pain and anxiety during dental injections, making visits easier and less stressful.

How similar studies have gone: Previous pediatric research has shown that virtual reality distraction can reduce procedural pain and anxiety, while augmented reality has been less extensively studied but shows early promise.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. 5-8 year-old female and male patients.
2. Cooperative patients (rating 3 or 4 on the Frankl's Behavior Rating Scale).
3. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class (I).
4. Patients need dental treatment under local anesthetic infiltration.
5. Patients without known anxiety disorders.
6. Patients with body weight that is considered normal according to their age and gender (95th percentile growth curve).
7. Patients without a prior history of receiving local anesthetic.
8. Patients with at least one vital primary molar with deep carious lesion on each side of the dental arch, who require to be treated under local anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients with special health care needs.
2. Patients on corticosteroid medications.
3. Patients having known salivary disorders, such as Sjogren's syndrome.
4. Parents who refused to sign the informed consent.

Where it's running

  • Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
    Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

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How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.