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Background: Innovations in virtual reality (VR) technologies have improved the adaptability of its use in therapeutic settings, and VR has shown to be a promising treatment for fear of medical procedures, with research increasing in this area in recent years.Purpose: This review aims to collate evidence for the impact of VR on fear of medical procedures.Methods: CENTRAL (Cochrane), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsychINFO databases were searched up to October 2020. A mix of experimental and case-control studies were included for review, which evaluated the effectiveness of VR for fear, anxiety, and pain of medical procedures for people with needle phobia, dental phobia, claustrophobia of medical scans, and burn wound care anxiety. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed by Cochrane and ROBINS-I tools.Results: Twenty-eight studies were selected. Some studies included mixed participant groups of young people adults. The interventions varied, with VR used for distraction, hypnosis, or exposure. These were shown to be effective for reducing fear of medical procedures. However, effectiveness for blood-injection-injury phobias and burn wound care patients was unclear.Conclusions: Evidence on the effectiveness of VR suggests that it does decrease fear of medical procedures in some situations. However, the RoB assessment illustrated a poor quality of studies across those included in this review, limiting the ability to draw firm general conclusions from the study findings. There is a need for further research exploring the use of VR technologies in the management of anxiety in physical health care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fear of dental treatment is found among approximately 10% of children and young people and may be related to behavior problems within the dental operatory. This article outlines various approaches to assessing and managing dental phobia in children and young people based on four key areas: the creation of a warm and welcoming environment conducive to cooperation, building rapport and trust, teaching coping skills and rewarding the child's effort in overcoming their fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report presents a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention provided fora 63-year-old male, who had experienced dental phobia for over 50-years. This gentleman initially received intravenous sedation (IVS) for 5-years within a Specialist Sedation and Special Care dental department, before being referred for the long-term management of his dental phobia, within the embedded specialist Dental Health Psychology Service in a London Dental Hospital. This brief report will consider aspects of the CBT intervention delivered in relation to assessment, case conceptualisation, course of treatment and outcomes; reflecting on the complementary aspects of sedation and CBT. Learning points will be identified for the role of CBT or CBT-based techniques within dental anxiety management settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will explore the use of psychological approaches (specifically Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT), for the management of people with dental phobia. While dental anxiety is common, it should be considered as a continuum, becoming a phobia when it meets the criteria outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).' Specifically this means the phobia has a significant impact on an individual's wellbeing in areas of physiological, psychological or social functioning; with marked avoidance and experience of significant distress associated with encounters related to the dental setting. Recognised as one of the most common specific phobias,2 dental phobia is estimated to affect 11 % of the UK population.3 Consequently, increasing interest and attention on the application of CBT for dental phobia and the use of psychological approaches informed by the principles of CBT (i.e. Cognitive Behaviouraltechniques) for dental anxiety management, has led to an increase in the demand for both services and trained professionals within the dental care setting.To this end, it is important to note the distinction between CBT and CB-techniques; for individuals with mild-to-moderate dental anxiety, a range of psychological approaches may be employed, some of which draw on the principles of CBT (i.e. CB-techniques) but do not necessarily constitute formalised CBT for the treatment of phobia. This article aims to briefly outline the role of CBT within dental phobia care pathways, outline existing services which provide CBT approaches within the UK and identify the possible training options available to dental care professionals interested in the approach.The authors wish to note that the UK services and training options outlined in this article, were those known to them at the time of writing - there may be others we are not aware of. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]