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DistractionNCT07632547

Video-Enhanced Tell-Show-Do for Managing Dental Anxiety in Children

A study testing Behavioral Treatment in people with Distraction and Behavior Management, run by Damascus University at 1 site in Syria.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study is the first of its kind to examine the effect of integrating the real oral environment with a video that supports the expressions used during the Tell-Show-Do technique (such as "we will see the cavity," "the cavity will drink juice to fall asleep," and "we will clean the tooth from the cavity"). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 4 to 6 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Distraction, Behavior Management
What is being tested?
Behavioral Treatment
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
80 participants
Where
1 siteSyria
Study dates
1 Apr 2026to 1 Aug 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 4 to 6 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Children aged 4-6 years, with or without previous dental experience.
  • Children with a positive behavior rating according to the Frankl scale.
  • Children with primary molars requiring conservative dental treatment.

Who cannot join

  • Children with systemic or mental disorders.
  • Children who received sedative or analgesic medications within the 3 hours prior to the dental visit.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Syria1 site

  • Damascus University

    Damascus

Other trials in Syria

About this study

Official title: Reinforcing the Tell-Show-Do Technique With a Simulated Real-mouth Video to Manage Dental Anxiety in Children During Dental Treatment (A Randomized Controlled Trial)

This study is the first of its kind to examine the effect of integrating the real oral environment with a video that supports the expressions used during the Tell-Show-Do technique (such as "we will see the cavity," "the cavity will drink juice to fall asleep," and "we will clean the tooth from the cavity"). This approach aims to enhance the Tell-Show-Do technique, build trust with the child, and reduce anxiety at the different stages of dental treatment in the clinical setting.

Read the detailed description

Dental fear and anxiety in children are associated with several visual stimuli, such as the shape of the dental handpiece or saliva ejector, as well as painful procedures like local anaesthesia, which may create a barrier to receiving dental treatment. Many studies have explored various behaviour management techniques to reduce anxiety during treatment; however, few have investigated the effect of using a video simulation of the real oral environment to familiarise children with treatment steps and reinforce the phrases commonly used by the dentist. This study was designed to reassure children by using a video that demonstrates carious lesions and dental instruments, including the mirror, saliva ejector, handpiece, and syringe, and shows how they work inside the mouth in a child-friendly manner.

This research is a randomised controlled clinical trial in which participants were assigned to two groups based on the behaviour management technique used. Anxiety was assessed using three integrated measures: a self-reported anxiety scale, an observer-rated behaviour scale, and physiological indicators including oxygen saturation and heart rate. All measures were recorded before, during, and after treatment to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention's effect on children's anxiety levels.

Being tested
Behavioral Treatment
Keywords
Dental anxiety, Video modeling / Simulation, Tell-Show-Do technique

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Behavioral TreatmentBehavioural

    Also called Tell-Show-Do Technique

    This group received treatment guided by the Tell-Show-Do (TSD) method. Each step was explained through simple analogies-referring to local anesthesia as 'sleepy juice' and the rubber dam as a 'trap' for the 'tooth worm.' After the explanation and instrument demonstration, restorative treatment was carried out. The protocol excluded the use of any audiovisual aids. All procedures involved conservative restoration of the mandibular primary molars

  • Behavioral TreatmentBehavioural

    Also called Real-Oral Simulation Video-Assisted Tell-Show-Do Technique

    Children in this group were managed using a video-assisted Tell-Show-Do (VATSD) approach incorporating real-oral simulation. Each procedural step was preceded by a specific segment of a pre-recorded video tailored to the upcoming task. The video featured a simulated intraoral environment where dental caries was personified by an animated 'tooth worm' to explain decay and its removal. Consistent with conventional TSD, the video integrated child-friendly analogies: local anesthesia was introduced as 'sleepy juice'-depicting the 'tooth worm' falling asleep-and the rubber dam was shown as a barrier to prevent its escape. These segments sequentially covered examination, anesthesia, rubber dam placement, and cavity preparation. Each viewing was followed by a standardized verbal explanation before performing the clinical procedure. All participants underwent conservative restorative treatment of the mandibular primary molars

Study groups in NCT07632547
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Tell-Show-Do behavior management techniqueActive comparatorChildren in this group will receive restorative treatment with following the traditional TSD technique without any visual aids.
Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral Treatment
Real-Oral Simulation Video-Assisted Tell-Show-Do TechniqueExperimentalChildren in this group will receive restorative treatment with following the enhanced Tell-Show-Do technique with a video simulating the real oral environment
Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral Treatment

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Heart Rate

    Assessment tool: Pulse oximeter Measurement unit: Beats per minute (bpm)

    Assessment time points:

    Heart rate was assessed during a single dental treatment visit at baseline before treatment, after behavior management, during local anesthetic injection, before and during rubber dam placement, before handpiece use, and during restorative treatment.

    Measured: during a single dental treatment visit at baseline before treatment, after behavior management, during local anesthetic injection, before and during rubber dam placement, before handpiece use, and during restorative treatment.

  2. Facial Image Scale (FIS)

    Assessment tool: Facial Image Scale questionnaire Measurement unit: Ordinal score (1-5)

    Assessment time points:

    Facial Image Scale was assessed during a single dental treatment visit at baseline and during treatment.

    Measured: The Facial Image Scale was assessed during a single dental treatment visit at baseline (first visit before intervention) and during dental treatment.

Secondary outcomes (1)

  1. Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂)

    Assessment tool: Pulse oximeter Measurement unit: Percentage (%)

    Assessment time points:

    Oxygen saturation was measured using a pulse oximeter and recorded during a single dental treatment visit at baseline, after behavior management, during local anesthetic injection, before and during rubber dam placement, before handpiece use, and during dental treatment.

    Measured: Baseline; after behavior management; during injection; before rubber dam placement; during rubber dam placement; before handpiece use; during treatment during a single dental treatment visit.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted8 Jun 2026
  2. Study start1 Apr 2026
  3. Primary completion1 Jul 2026
  4. Study completion1 Aug 2026

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
80 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07632547
Sponsor's protocol ID
UDDS-Pedo-03-2026
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
7 May 2026
Last updated
1 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Abbasi H, Saqib M, Jouhar R, Lal A, Ahmed N, Ahmed MA, Alam MK. The Efficacy of Little Lovely Dentist, Dental Song, and Tell-Show-Do Techniques in Alleviating Dental Anxiety in Paediatric Patients: A Clinical Trial. Biomed Res Int. 2021 May 23;2021:1119710. doi: 10.1155/2021/1119710. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34124238

  • Khandelwal D, Kalra N, Tyagi R, Khatri A, Gupta K. Control of Anxiety in Pediatric Patients using "Tell Show Do" Method and Audiovisual Distraction. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2018 Sep 1;19(9):1058-1064.

    PubMed 30287704

  • Seligman LD, Hovey JD, Chacon K, Ollendick TH. Dental anxiety: An understudied problem in youth. Clin Psychol Rev. 2017 Jul;55:25-40. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.04.004. Epub 2017 Apr 19.

    PubMed 28478271

  • Liu Y, Gu Z, Wang Y, Wu Q, Chen V, Xu X, Zhou X. Effect of audiovisual distraction on the management of dental anxiety in children: A systematic review. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2019 Jan;29(1):14-21. doi: 10.1111/ipd.12430. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

    PubMed 30362187

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Behavioral Treatment in people with Distraction and Behavior Management, run by Damascus University at 1 site in Syria.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Syria. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Heart Rate (time frame: during a single dental treatment visit at baseline before treatment, after behavior management, during local anesthetic injection, before and during rubber dam placement, before handpiece use, and during restorative treatment.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07632547, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Sep 2026.

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