Isla Calma: virtual reality for pain and anxiety distraction when coping with dental fear

Dental fear represents a problem for both clinicians and patients. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of a virtual reality tool called "Isla Calma" (Calm Island) to reduce self-reported anxiety in a series of patients undergoing dental interventions. Ninety four patients from 3 clinics were randomly assigned to an experimental group (dental treatment using Isla Calma) and a control group (treatment without distractions). Patients were evaluated with the STAl. a questionnaire about dental concerns, before and after the intervention, a subjective pain scale, as well as with an ad-hoc questionnaire about the intervention experience. Results showed that, although dental concerns diminished significantly in both groups, the experimental group showed a more significant reduction in self-reported anxiety, especially in the information provided in the ad-hoc questionnaire. In conclusion, Isla Calma constitutes an efficient support in clinical interventions that benefit from distraction to manage anxiety and/or dental fear.