[Are VR headsets effective in reducing dental anxiety?].

The gold standard for the treatment of a specific phobia is cognitive behavioural therapy in the form of exposure. The latest form of this treatment is virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy. During this therapy, an individual is confronted virtually with the stimulus he or she fears instead of in vivo. Research has demonstrated virtual reality exposure therapy is an effective treatment method for treating anxiety disorder, social anxiety, fear of flying, vertigo, arachnophobia and post-traumatic stress disorder. On account of the positive results in treating phobia with virtual reality exposure therapy and the high prevalence of people with dental anxiety, research has been carried out on its effectiveness with this category of patients. This has demonstrated that the therapy can reduce treatment anxiety and avoidance. It also revealed that after 6 months patients no longer showed characteristics of specific phobia and were able to undergo standard dental treatment.