Effects Of Two Different Methods In Reducing Dental Anxiety In Children

Anxiety is defined as an emotional state that comes before encountering a feared situation or object. Anxiety can also be seen as a coping mechanism that a person develops to cope with stress, existing before the feared situation actually occurs. Many factors such as physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and economic factors can play a role in the development of anxiety, as well as treatments and interventions related to oral and dental health can be a source of anxiety for the individual. Negative and strong feelings related to any type of dental procedure are called dental anxiety. According to studies, the prevalence of dental anxiety is estimated to vary between 3% and 43% worldwide. Dental anxiety/fear is a very common problem worldwide, observed frequently in children as well as in the elderly, adults, and adolescents.

The prevalence of dental anxiety in children is estimated to be between 5% and 20%. Dental anxiety in children may be due to internal factors such as age and temperament, as well as external factors related to the family such as anxiety and socio-economic status, and external dental factors such as dental-related conditions and medical experiences. In addition, the first dental visit, painful and disturbing stimuli that the child may encounter (such as the instruments used, the waiting room, the doctor's appearance, sounds), the doctor's approach, and the culture in which the child was born and raised are also important factors for dental anxiety.

In order to increase the success of dental treatment in children, determining the level of dental anxiety is important for the application of appropriate techniques. In order to manage dental anxiety in a healthy way and increase the child's compliance with treatment, determining dental anxiety, applying management approaches according to the type and level of dental anxiety, informing children appropriate to their age before any medical interventions and procedures to be performed regarding oral and dental health and using appropriate methods will contribute to controlling the child's worries and fears. In this way, dental anxiety is reduced; It can be effective in reducing the patient's avoidance of dental visits and entering a vicious cycle of dental anxiety, tooth decay/loss, poor oral hygiene, oral and dental health problems that may occur in adulthood and related eating difficulties, pain, avoidance of socialization behaviors and increasing children's compliance with treatment, as well as allowing dentists to work with less stress and minimizing possible time losses. For this reason, recognizing and resolving dental anxiety while still in childhood is an extremely important issue for the success of treatment.

When studies conducted to reduce dental anxiety in children were examined; it was found that distraction through videotapes reduced dental anxiety and fear, and at the same time, it would make working with this patient group, which is more difficult for dentists, more comfortable and would reduce the time spent, while in a study using humanoid robots, a newer technology, it was concluded that robots also helped children cope with dental anxiety and stress, and in another study conducted in a similar way to reduce dental fear in children; it was concluded that informing children by playing with play dough from the dentist's set before the procedure to be performed in dental applications reduced dental anxiety, and that the dental anxiety of the children in the control group who did not play with play dough was higher than before the procedure. Another study has shown that distracting children's attention by playing with toys in the waiting room before a dental procedure can also be effective in reducing dental anxiety.

In a study conducted with adults, it was stated that dog-assisted therapy and dental anxiety were related, that there was a decrease in perceived discomfort during the intervention and that there was an improvement in the patient's evaluation of the experience. Similarly, it has been shown that animal-assisted treatments have positive effects on dental anxiety in children. For this purpose, professional dogs that have received therapy support training are used. However, it has been emphasized that animal-assisted dental treatments can be risky for both the dog and the dental staff due to clinical hygiene conditions and can be applied if the necessary precautions are taken. Today, social robots have been developed thanks to advanced technologies and studies have shown that they are beneficial for individuals who feel the need for emotional support. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of robot cats, which are both suitable for use in hygienic conditions and developed for those who need emotional support, on dental anxiety in children.