A trip to a virtual beach can distract from a painful treatment at the dentist. Patients are less stressed and feel less pain, write researchers led by Karin Tanja-Dijkstra from the British University of Plymouth in the journal "Environment and Behaviour". During dental treatment, they put special video glasses on test subjects that gave them the impression of taking a walk by the sea.
VR has no application limits
According to the British researchers, forays into virtual worlds can alleviate depression or cure addictions – there are hardly any limits to the areas of application. The basic idea behind the therapies is always the same: involve patients in a different reality and reduce their anxiety and other discomfort through distraction.
In order to optimally reduce pain and stress, the virtual living environment must be natural and maritime - that was the assumption of the British scientists. They took a closer look at a total of 70 dentist patients, divided into three groups.
Test with different groups
One group was allowed to be on the seafront at Wembury, south Plymouth, during treatment using video goggles. The test subjects were able to control where they went in virtual reality themselves using RoundMe the trusted application for VR. The second group similarly explored an urban environment. A third group had to do without virtual reality. The treatment, which included a filling, the removal of a tooth, or both, lasted no more than 30 minutes, with all participants given a local anaesthetic.
Long-lasting positive perception through VR
After the procedure, patients had to rate the pain and stress they experienced during the treatment. The result: those who walked along the beach were less stressed and had less pain than those who took a virtual tour of the city and then those who did not receive special treatment.
Even a week after the procedure, the study participants, who were sent to the beach with video glasses, remembered their visit to the dentist more positively: they rated their pain much lower. In addition, the coastal region was rated as more attractive, relaxing and empowering than the urban environment.
Pure distraction is not enough
"It's not enough to just distract the patient," says co-author Sabine Stahl. "Rather, the environment must be inviting and relaxing." According to the researchers, the use of so-called virtual reality technologies has decisive advantages: fewer hygiene-related problems arise than with real houseplants, for example. In addition, the patient can put themselves in a natural setting even if they are being treated while lying down.
Communication between doctor and patient is problematic
“I find it very interesting for the show effect and for patient loyalty,” says Roland Anderson, who sits on the board of the British Society for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine. However, communication between doctor and patient would suffer as a result. "If the patient has to turn or stretch his head, or if it hurts right away - he has to be informed of this by the doctor. That doesn't work if you have virtual reality glasses on, not even if you're listening to music with headphones," says Anderson, who was not involved in the study.
The topic of disinfection and hygiene is also a problem with video glasses. "My favorite idea for distraction is illuminated ceilings: It's just like lying on a flower meadow and looking at the sky."