Effect of Therapeutic Play and Virtual Reality Glasses on Pain and Anxiety in Children

Background: A child\'s first dental experience plays a crucial role in treatment success and in fostering cooperation during future visits. In pediatric dentistry, various non-pharmacological approaches have been implemented to prepare children for dental procedures. This study aims to evaluate the effects of two such approaches-therapeutic play and virtual reality glasses-designed to familiarize children with dental instruments, on pain perception and dental anxiety. Methods: A total of 66 healthy children aged 6-9 years attending their first dental visit at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of Ataturk University will be included. Participants will be randomly assigned into three groups: one group will receive therapeutic play before local anesthesia; the second group will use virtual reality glasses before local anesthesia; and the control group will receive local anesthesia without any preparatory intervention. Dental anxiety and pain will be assessed using the Modified Children\'s Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS), the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBS), and the FLACC scale. Physiological parameters including heart rate and oxygen saturation will be recorded before and after anesthesia.