Comparison of Effectiveness of Virtual Reality, Audio & TSD Distraction Techniques in Management of Anxiety in 6 to 12 year-old Children Undergoing Restorative Treatment

Background: A successful pediatric dental practice requires a positive psychological environment for each child. Anxiety during dental treatment is a common concern, and distraction techniques have gained popularity as non-invasive behavior management strategies. Virtual Reality (VR) and audio distraction are novel techniques that offer engaging alternatives to traditional methods such as the Tell-Show-Do (TSD) technique. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR), Audio Distraction, and Tell-Show-Do (TSD) techniques in the management of anxiety among 6- to 12-year-old pediatric dental patients undergoing restorative treatment. Methodology This randomized controlled clinical study was conducted at the Department of Paediatric & Preventive Dentistry,MGDCH in Jaipur. It involved 30 children aged 6-12 years with at least one carious tooth and no prior dental treatment. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: Virtual Reality Distraction (Group 1), Audio Distraction (Group 2), and Tell-Show-Do Distraction (Group 3, control). Anxiety levels were assessed using Venham’s Clinical Anxiety Rating Scale (VCARS) and Facial Image Scale (FIS), while physiological measures like pulse rate were recorded before, during, and after the treatment by the same operator. Results: A statistically significant reduction in anxiety was observed in all three groups. However, the VR distraction group showed the greatest reduction in anxiety levels, followed by the Audio distraction group, while the TSD group exhibited the least reduction. Conclusion: Distraction techniques such as VR and audio are effective in reducing anxiety among pediatric dental patients. VR distraction proved to be the most effective method and may be recommended for routine pediatric dental care to enhance patient cooperation and comfort.