Clinical Research Directory

Aromatherapy vs Music Therapy for Anxiety in Children During Dental Radiography

This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on anxiety levels in children undergoing intraoral radiographic examination for the first time. Dental anxiety is a common problem in pediatric patients and can negatively impact cooperation and treatment outcomes. Children included in the study will be randomly assigned to four groups: aromatherapy and music group, aromatherapy group, music therapy group, or control group. In the aromatherapy group, children will be exposed to a selected essential oil (lavender oil) before the radiographic procedure, while in the music therapy group, children will listen to calming music through a speaker. The group receiving both aromatherapy and music therapy will listen to music while being exposed to the essential oil. The control group will receive standard care without any additional intervention. Anxiety levels will be assessed before and after the radiographic procedure using the Facial Imaging Scale (FIS). Simultaneously, pulse rate will be measured before and after the procedure using a finger pulse oximeter. The primary aim is to determine whether aromatherapy, music therapy, or a combination of both is more effective in reducing anxiety compared to the control group. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective methods to improve the comfort and cooperation of pediatric patients during dental radiographic procedures.

Virtual Reality Storytelling Versus Storybook Reading for Dental Anxiety in Children

Many children feel anxious before dental treatment. This study compares two ways of helping children feel calmer while waiting for their dental visit: watching a dental story through virtual reality (VR) glasses, or listening to the same story read aloud by the dentist from a printed storybook. The story is in Arabic and follows a girl named Amira during her first dental visit. The story is identical in both groups, so the only difference is how it is delivered. Healthy children aged 6 to 10 years will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. The main outcome is the child's heart rate, measured before and after the story as an objective sign of anxiety. Children's dental fear will also be assessed with two child-friendly scales, and parents' own dental anxiety will be measured to see whether it is related to their child's anxiety. The study aims to find out whether VR storytelling differs from a traditional storybook in its effect on children's anxiety before dental treatment.

Evaluating Operation Calm With Children, Parents, and Clinicians

Operation Calm is a single-arm, mixed-methods feasibility study evaluating a virtual reality (VR) nature-based mindfulness intervention with children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, parents, and clinicians. Children complete one guided mindfulness session combining an immersive 360° nature environment with breathing, sensory awareness, and grounding exercises. Parents and clinicians view the intervention through a secure online link. The study examines feasibility, acceptability, engagement, usability, perceived usefulness, and child tolerability. It also explores immediate changes in children's anxiety, calmness, state mindfulness, and nature connectedness. Feedback from children, parents, and clinicians will guide further refinement of Operation Calm before it is evaluated in a larger clinical study.

AI-Assisted Evaluation of Dental Anxiety in Children: A Machine Learning Approach

This observational study evaluated whether children's dental anxiety could be identified from their speech using artificial intelligence and machine learning methods. Children aged 8-12 years attending a pediatric dentistry clinic answered a set of short, standardized questions before receiving dental treatment. Their speech was recorded, and their dental anxiety was assessed during the same session using three established measures: the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale, the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale, and the Face Image Scale. Acoustic characteristics of the children's voices and linguistic characteristics of their spoken responses were analyzed together. Four machine learning algorithms were developed and evaluated to determine how accurately they could distinguish between children with lower and higher levels of dental anxiety. No treatment was assigned or modified as part of the study.

Effectiveness of Puppet Modeling During Dental Emergency Visits on Dental Anxiety and Behavior of Children in a Subsequent Visit

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if using a puppet in dental visits for children is an effective behavior guidance tool. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does using a puppet to explain dental procedures to children during emergency dental visits lower their anxiety in a subsequent dental visit? * Does using a puppet to explain dental procedures to children during emergency dental visits improve their behavior in a subsequent dental visit? Researchers compared the effect of using a puppet to the traditional tell-show-do behavior guidance technique to see if the puppet is more effective in lowering their anxiety and improving their behavior. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups: * Group I: Children who received puppet play therapy in the emergency dental visit and in the subsequent dental visit. * Group II: Children who received only the traditional tell-show-do behavior guidance technique in the emergency dental visit and in the subsequent dental visit.

Tactile Pre-Visit Imagery

In pediatric dentistry, our primary goals are to prevent dental caries and, when necessary, provide treatment in a safe and comforting environment that minimizes anxiety for young patients. By familiarizing young patients with the steps involved in common dental procedures, tactile pre-visit imagery booklets can reduce the fear of the unknown. Study Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether tactile pre-visit imagery could reduce dental anxiety and fear in pediatric patients prior to their first restorative procedure. An additional aspect of this study entails assessing the patient's behavior and determining if it improves with the use of a tactile pre-visit imagery booklet.

Dental Play Intervention Before Restorative Care in Children

This pilot study designed to evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of play-based interventions on pediatric dental patients. The intervention consists of a structured dental play session prior to restorative treatment, aimed at reducing anxiety and improving behavioral cooperation. Data will be collected during and after the procedure, focusing on observed behavior and responses to standardized assessments.

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Based Distraction on Anxiety and Pain Perception in Paediatric Dental Extraction

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if virtual reality distraction can reduce dental anxiety and pain perception in children aged 6-10 years undergoing simple dental extraction. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does virtual reality distraction lower dental anxiety compared to audio-visual distraction and conventional tell-show-do techniques? Does virtual reality distraction reduce pain perception during dental extraction? Researchers will compare virtual reality distraction, audio-visual distraction (2D cartoons with headset), and conventional tell-show-do with verbal distraction to see which method is most effective in improving child cooperation and reducing anxiety and pain. Participants will: Wear VR glasses to watch immersive 3D cartoons, or Watch 2D cartoons with headset, or Receive the conventional tell-show-do technique with verbal distraction. Outcome measures will include child dental anxiety (CFSS-DS, VCARS), pain perception (Wong-Baker FACES), physiological parameters (pulse rate, SpO₂), and behavioral cooperation (Frankl scale).

Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Dental Treatment

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether immersive virtual reality (VR) reduces pain and anxiety in children aged 6-12 years during routine dental procedures. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does VR distraction reduce self-reported pain and anxiety during dental treatment compared to standard behaviour guidance? * Does VR distraction improve children's post-procedural experience and willingness to return for future dental visits? Researchers will compare children using a VR headset during dental treatment to children receiving standard behaviour guidance techniques. Participants will: * Attend one routine dental appointment * Be randomly assigned to wear a VR headset or receive standard care during their procedure * Complete brief questionnaires about pain and anxiety before and after treatment * Receive a follow-up phone call 24-72 hours after the appointment

Kaleidoscope Compared to Tell-Show-Do for Reducing Children Pain and Anxiety During Pulp Therapy

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if Kaleidoscope glasses help children feel less pain and worry during dental work. It will also explore if these glasses help children feel more comfortable with the dentist. Kaleidoscope glasses are special glasses show bright, colorful shapes. The patterns change every time the child moves their head. This helps keep the child's mind off the dental work. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do the glasses lower a child's pain during a numbing shot and tooth treatment? Do the glasses help a child feel less anxious during the visit? Researchers will compare the glasses to a method called "Tell-Show-Do" to see which works best. "Tell-Show-Do" is when a dentist explains and shows tools before using them. Participants will: Get a nerve treatment (a "baby root canal") on a bottom baby tooth. Wear the Kaleidoscope glasses, have the researcher use "Tell-Show-Do," or do both. Have their pulse and pain levels checked before, during, and after the visit. To keep the study fair, the child will be put into 1 of 3 groups by picking a sealed random envelope. The groups are: Group 1: The child wears Kaleidoscope glasses (the special glasses). Group 2: The child wears Kaleidoscope glasses and the operator uses the "Tell-Show-Do" method during the visit with the child. Group 3: The operator uses the "Tell-Show-Do" method during the visit with the child only. This study helps make the dental visit easier and more comfortable for children. It aims to: Lower pain during the tooth treatment. Help children feel less afraid of the dentist. Make children more willing to get the care they need. The research also helps dentists give better care by building trust with their young participants. Risks: There are no serious risks in this study. In rare cases, a child may not want to wear the special glasses. If this happens, the researcher will stop using the glasses but will still finish the tooth treatment.