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Virtual Reality Exposure for Dental Fear

NCT06494176 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 250

Last updated 2026-03-11

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare an intervention for dental fear to the usual approach (i.e., whatever your dentist typically does to help you manage fear) in reducing patient fear and making dentist appointments more tolerable. The dental fear intervention (called neVR Fear the Dentist™) has two separate steps. Step 1 involves using a mobile app that is based on research-backed approaches to handling dental fear on your smartphone or device. Step 2 is a 1-hour self-administered virtual reality intervention to be completed in the dental office.

This is a randomized study. Participants will be randomized to either the intervention group or an active control.

Investigators hypothesize that participants in the intervention condition will show greater declines in self-reported dental fear and improved oral health-related quality of life during post-treatment and follow-up period.

Conditions

  • Dental Fear

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

neVR Fear the Dentist

neVR Fear the DentistTM comprises two major evidence-based interventions. First is a self-administered eHealth app for CBT/ psychoeducation with exposure therapy - delivered via a mobile tablet - that can be completed anywhere. Second is a 1-hr virtual reality exposure treatment (VRET).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Virtually Better, Inc.

    collaborator INDUSTRY

  • New York University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Richard Heyman, PhD · New York University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
13 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-08-09
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06494176 on ClinicalTrials.gov