In the summer of 2017 I came across a study that showed that “visiting” a beach via Oculus Rift VR headset while undergoing dental work was such an effective distraction that it reduced patients’ anxiety and even gave them more positive memories of the experience. Yes, positive memories of a visit to the dentist. In the study, which I wrote about for VICE News’s health section, Tonic, researchers from the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter, and Birmingham in England teamed up with a dental practice to test the effects of animated VR experiences.
