Comparison of a Muscle Relaxation Technique and Relaxing sounds to conventional behvaviour management techniques to reduce anxiety in children undergoing invasive dental procedures
- Conditions
- Children aged 7-11 years requiring invasive dental treatment
- Registration Number
- CTRI/2022/09/045796
- Lead Sponsor
- Dr Dhvani Abhijit Tanna
- Brief Summary
‘Dental Fear and Anxiety’ is described as strong negative feelings associated with dental treatment among children and adolescents which can cause a delay in treatment or render it impossible. Children with high levels of dental anxiety have shown increased numbers of decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces. Extraction and pulp therapy patients show the least cooperation, as both these procedures are invasive and involve administration of local anesthesia, loss of blood and child may experience pain or be forced to stay cooperative during treatment. Dental anxiety, if left unaddressed, can intensify in adulthood
Behavior management strategies are techniques employed by the dentist to alleviate fear and anxiety in the child and are flexible and individualized. They require a thorough understanding of cognitive, emotional and social development of the child to establish effective communication between child, dentist and the parent. Conventional behavior management techniques like establishing good communication, use of Tell-Show-Do and positive reinforcement have been effectively used in anxious patients.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a relaxation technique in which a person first tenses and releases major muscle of the body in a systematic order, usually beginning at the distal body parts and progressing proximally. The main rationale for this is when the body is aware of the presence of the tension, it will respond by triggering the muscles to relax, where the rest of the other components of the relaxation response will naturally follow which tends to cause parasympathetic dominance.
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a perceptual phenomenon characterized by pleasurable tingling sensations in the head and neck, as well as feelings of relaxation, that reliably arise while attending to aspecific triggering stimulus (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile).These sensations are accompanied by a sense of calm and a positive effect.
Various conventional techniques have been used with great efficiency; nevertheless, the non-acceptance of some of them by the parents, certain ethical and legal conditions as well as changes in the current education and the advance in new technologies, emphasize the need for newer modalities. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have been conducted using PMR and ASMR behavior management techniques on dental anxiety in pediatric patients requiring invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block and their efficacy on alleviating dental anxiety. Hence, the need for this study.
**Aim:**
To compare the effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique (PMR), Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) to conventional behaviour management techniques (Communication, Tell-Show-Do and Positive Reinforcement) on alleviating dental anxiety in children who require invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block.
**Methodology:**
A total of 78 children between the age group 7-11 years requiring local anesthesia for dental treatment, reporting to the OPD of the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry at AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore will be included in this study. They will be randomly divided into three groups:
· STUDY GROUP I – 26 children who require invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block using Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique.
· STUDY GROUP II- 26children who require invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block using Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.
· CONTROL GROUP- 26 children who require invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block using conventional behaviour management techniques (Communication, Tell-Show-Do and Positive Reinforcement).
Dental anxiety levels in children will be pre-operatively measured using the faces version of Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale. 7-11 year old children with a score of 26 and above will be included in the study.
Anxiety levels in children before and after the behaviour management technique will be measured by:
- Physiological Parameters: Oxygen Saturation and Pulse Rate by the means of a pulse oximeter and Blood Pressure by an automated blood pressure machine.
- Subjective Parameters: Visual Facial Anxiety Scale
- **These parameters will be compared before and after the behaviour management technique and during the administration of local anaesthetic block.**
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Completed
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 78
- Children between the ages 7-11 years with a score of 26 and above who fall in the category of being anxious on the Faces version of Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDASf).
- Children who require invasive dental procedures under local anaesthetic block.
- Children with parental consent.
- Children with known allergy to local anaesthesia.
- Children with specific medical illnesses.
- Children with special health care needs.
- Children/ parents unwilling to participate.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Reduction in objective and subjective parameters of anxiety in children during and after administration of local anesthetic block
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method NA NA
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore
🇮🇳Kannada, KARNATAKA, India
AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore🇮🇳Kannada, KARNATAKA, IndiaDr Dhvani TannaPrincipal investigator7738250181dhvanitanna@gmail.com