The use of digital tools in the treatment of dental anxiety among children and adolescents is little explored internationally and has so far not been explored in Norway. There is need for practice-based research. The project will follow a user-centered design process where children, guardians, dental personnel, technologists, psychologists, and researchers together create new solutions together. Within dental health there is little tradition for user-centered projects, and user-centered projects with children have not been carried out. Children have previously been involved in technology development processes in other disciplines, where studies show that this has important contributions to user acceptance and utility value of solutions. Research in the field of children's dental health has been requested, and this project will contribute to this aspect.
The project will follow an iterative user-centered design process, where new digital solutions and services will be developed, tested, and evaluated. Based on this, recommendations and communication tools will be developed. Furthermore, the project will facilitate implementation and further innovative service development. Development of the new digital service has a significant value creation potential for patients, the dental health service and for society at large, nationally and internationally: quality, efficiency and better user experiences for all children in the dental service – regardless of geography and socio-economic status.
