Table 8. Characteristics of the selected studies in pediatric dentistry.

S. no	Author, Year, Country	VR system	Participants	Study design	Assessment tool	Tested outcome	Results
Abbreviations: AR, augmented reality; CCO, comparative crossover; CST, cross sectional trial; DS, dental students; LAVR, local anesthesia virtual reality; MCQs, multiple choice questions; RCT, randomized controlled trial; VP, virtual patient; VR, virtual reality.
1	Papadopoulos et al 2013 in Greece 77	VR simulation pediatric VP	(103) 4th year DS	RCT	MCQs knowledge questionnaire VP feedback	Students’ knowledge of behavior and communication pediatric dentistry	VP group had significantly higher scores and the majority evaluated the aspects of the simulation very positively
2	Mladenovic et al 2020 in Serbia 78	AR simulator	(21) Fourth and fifth year DS	RCT	The time taken to administer the anesthesia. Level of salivary cortisol before and after Level of salivary cortisol before and after the administration of anesthesia	Perception of learning and acute stress level	AR group reported significantly shorter time. The level of cortisol significantly increased no statistical difference between the groups
3	Zafar et al 2020, Australia 79	Simodont Haptic simulator	(100) Doctorate degree students	CCO	Traditional and simulator training on pulpotomies and stainless-steel crowns (SSCs), followed by a questionnaire	Experience of pulpotomy and SSCs procedures on the Simodont, vs. conventional training	Over 50% agreed that Simodont-assisted learning, and facilitated understanding of pediatric dentistry tasks, although they felt more comfortable with the conventional training setup
4	Zafar et al 2021, Australia 80	Oculus Quest (VR headset plus digital 3D holograms and 360-degree spatial sound)	(71) Second year DS	CST	Self-administered questionnaire before and after the use of dental LAVR simulator	Dental student’s perception of dental LAVR simulation on a pediatric patient	Most of the participants reported improved LA skills, more engaged in the learning activity, improved understanding of anatomical landmarks, and added value compared with traditional LA teaching methods