Dental Anxiety in ChildrenNCT07719205
Tactile Pre-Visit Imagery
A study testing Tactile Previsit Imagery Booklet in people with Dental Anxiety in Children and Behavior Change, run by University of Southern California at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
In pediatric dentistry, our primary goals are to prevent dental caries and, when necessary, provide treatment in a safe and comforting environment that minimizes anxiety for young patients. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 4 to 10 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dental Anxiety in Children, Behavior Change
- What is being tested?
- Tactile Previsit Imagery Booklet
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Jan 2026to Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 10 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Children aged 4-10 years
- ASA I or II
- Patients who have NOT had dental treatment before
- Patients needing at least ONE composite filling or stainless steel crown [CP1] with nitrous oxide and local anesthesia (composite filling must be done at the first treatment visit)
- Parents and children must speak English or Spanish
Who cannot join
- Children with developmental delays or cognitive impairments that may impact their ability to participate in pre-visit imagery activities
- Patients with visual or tactile disabilities associated for a particular medical condition or as reported on their medical history form
- Patients who refuse to wear nitrous hood
- Emergency dental appointments
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry - Pediatric Dental Clinic
Los Angeles, California, 90089
Catherine Pham, 213-740-0412, cmpham@usc.edu
- Recruiting
Altamed Dental Clinic
Santa Ana, California, 92704
Alyssa Nowlen, 888-499-9303, annowlen@usc.edu
About this study
Official title: Tactile Pre-Visit Imagery Effect on Behavior of Children During Dental Procedures
In pediatric dentistry, our primary goals are to prevent dental caries and, when necessary, provide treatment in a safe and comforting environment that minimizes anxiety for young patients. By familiarizing young patients with the steps involved in common dental procedures, tactile pre-visit imagery booklets can reduce the fear of the unknown.
Study Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether tactile pre-visit imagery could reduce dental anxiety and fear in pediatric patients prior to their first restorative procedure. An additional aspect of this study entails assessing the patient's behavior and determining if it improves with the use of a tactile pre-visit imagery booklet.
- Conditions
- Dental Anxiety in Children, Behavior Change
- Being tested
- Tactile Previsit Imagery Booklet
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Tactile Previsit Imagery BookletBehavioural
Physical Booklet that walks patient through all materials used during the dental treatmne and contains physical items that are going to be used so that patient can touch and feel.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Tactile Previsit Imagery | Experimental | Receives tactile previsit imagery booklet Receives: Behavioral: Tactile Previsit Imagery Booklet |
| No Tactile Previsit Imagery | No intervention | No additional previsit imagery |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dental Anxiety
Change in dental anxiety before and after treatment. The Venham Picture test is used to measure the child's anxiety. The scores from the Venham Picture test will be compared between pre- and post- treatment to determine changes in dental anxiety.
Measured: At baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after treatment (post-intervention)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in Behavior
Change in behavior/cooperation of patient before and after treatment. Child's behavior will be measured using the Frankl Behavior score. The Frankl score will be recorded pre- and post-treatment to determine a change in behavior.
Measured: At baseline (preintervention) and immediately after treatment (post-intervention)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jul 2026
- Study start15 Jan 2026
- Primary completion26 Jun 2026
- Study completionJun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Dental Anxiety in ChildrenStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern California
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Catherine Pham, University of Southern California
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07719205
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HS-25-00212
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 13 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Tactile Pre-Visit Imagery Effect on Behavior of Children During Dental Procedures
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07719205
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HS-25-00212
- Conditions
- Dental Anxiety in Children, Behavior Change
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 26 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In pediatric dentistry, our primary goals are to prevent dental caries and, when necessary, provide treatment in a safe and comforting environment that minimizes anxiety for young patients. By familiarizing young patients with the steps involved in common dental procedures, tactile pre-visit imagery booklets can reduce the fear of the unknown.
Study Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether tactile pre-visit imagery could reduce dental anxiety and fear in pediatric patients prior to their first restorative procedure. An additional aspect of this study entails assessing the patient's behavior and determining if it improves with the use of a tactile pre-visit imagery booklet.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Tactile Previsit Imagery | Experimental | Behavioral: Tactile Previsit Imagery BookletReceives tactile previsit imagery booklet |
| No Tactile Previsit Imagery | No intervention | –No additional previsit imagery |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 4 to 10 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Children aged 4-10 years
- ASA I or II
- Patients who have NOT had dental treatment before
- Patients needing at least ONE composite filling or stainless steel crown [CP1] with nitrous oxide and local anesthesia (composite filling must be done at the first treatment visit)
- Parents and children must speak English or Spanish
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Children with developmental delays or cognitive impairments that may impact their ability to participate in pre-visit imagery activities
- Patients with visual or tactile disabilities associated for a particular medical condition or as reported on their medical history form
- Patients who refuse to wear nitrous hood
- Emergency dental appointments
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Tactile Previsit Imagery BookletPhysical Booklet that walks patient through all materials used during the dental treatmne and contains physical items that are going to be used so that patient can touch and feel. | Behavioural | Tactile Previsit Imagery |
Primary outcome
Dental Anxiety
Time frame: At baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after treatment (post-intervention)
Change in dental anxiety before and after treatment. The Venham Picture test is used to measure the child's anxiety. The scores from the Venham Picture test will be compared between pre- and post- treatment to determine changes in dental anxiety.
1 secondary outcome
Change in Behavior
Time frame: At baseline (preintervention) and immediately after treatment (post-intervention)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry - Pediatric Dental Clinic
Los Angeles, United States
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Tactile Previsit Imagery Booklet in people with Dental Anxiety in Children and Behavior Change, run by University of Southern California at 2 sites in United States.
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 5 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dental Anxiety (time frame: At baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after treatment (post-intervention)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 22 Jul 2026.