Impact of a Snoezelen Element on Anxiety in Patients During Oral Care: A Real-Life Study at Nantes University Hospital (IISLA)

Impact of a Snoezelen Element on Anxiety in Patients With Special Needs During Oral Care at the Hôtel-Dieu University Hospital in Nantes: A Real-Life Study at Nantes University Hospital

Research on dental phobia highlights both external causes, like traumatic experiences or media influence, and internal factors, such as genetics and personality traits. While many studies focus on technical aspects of dental care, few explore how the care environment affects patient anxiety.

The Snoezelen concept, developed in the 1970s, uses sensory stimulation (sight, sound, smell, and touch) to reduce anxiety. Initially designed for individuals with neurocognitive disorders, it creates a calming environment and has since been adopted in various healthcare settings.

At Nantes University Hospital, the dental department will test the Tovertafel Pixie®, a sensory projector designed to distract patients and reduce anxiety. Its mobility allows it to be used in waiting rooms and treatment areas, projecting onto ceilings, walls, or tables. This real-life study will assess whether patients exposed to the projector experience less anxiety compared to those who are not, with the goal of improving patient care and dental treatment experiences.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Odontologic Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Tovertafel Pixie

Detailed Description

The study involves a questionnaire that the dental department usually provide to our patients, which is partially completed by the patient and partially by the practitioner at the end of the treatment session. No follow-up visit is required.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Isabelle Hyon, M.D; Phone Number: 02 44 76 80 78; Email: bp-secretariat-csd@chu-nantes.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Alexandra Poinas, PhD; Phone Number: 02 53 48 28 57; Email: alexandra.poinas@chu-nantes.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients consulting the specialized care unit of the dentistry department at Hôtel-Dieu University Hospital in Nantes, capable of understanding the various questions independently or with the assistance of a trusted person

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patient, over 18 years old;
• consulting in the specialized care unit;
• who understands French;
• receiving care in the specialized dentistry unit and capable of expressing themselves independently regarding the various items in the questionnaire, whether orally, in writing, through a speech synthesis system, or using pictograms;
• able to provide consent to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• receiving care in the specialized care unit who are unable to express themselves independently regarding the various items in the questionnaire, whether orally, in writing, through a speech synthesis system, or using pictograms;
• refuse to participate in the study;
• under guardianship, curatorship, or legal protection.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Tovertafel Pixie; Patients who will have the Tovertafel Pixie in the waiting room and the consultation room	Other: Tovertafel Pixie; The Tovertafel Pixie® projector has a distracting effect, which can help divert the patient's attention while waiting for or undergoing treatment.
controle; Patients without the Tovertafel Pixie in the waiting room and the consultation room

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measurement of anxiety.	The Kleinknecht Dental Fear Survey (DFS) measures dental anxiety on a scale ranging from 20 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), where higher scores indicate greater levels of fear or anxiety - Comparison of means	1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure the waiting time in the waiting room	Measure the waiting time in the waiting room in minutes	1day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Nantes University Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Isabelle Hyon, M.D, Nantes University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): January 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 20, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: AP_IH_IISLA_01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No