Assessing Behavior and Anxiety among 3–9-year-old Children during Local Anesthesia Administration Using Conventional and Camouflaged Syringes: A Randomized Split-mouth Design
Aim and background: Childhood dental fear often stems from painful stimuli and heightened pain perception. Needles, perceived as threatening instrument, triggers anxiety, exacerbating pain memory. Camouflaged syringes, shaped like toy alligators, conceal the instrument alleviating children's an...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of South Asian Association of Pediatric Dentistry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jsaapd.com/doi/JSAAPD/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10077-3299 |
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| Summary: | Aim and background: Childhood dental fear often stems from painful stimuli and heightened pain perception. Needles, perceived as threatening instrument, triggers anxiety, exacerbating pain memory. Camouflaged syringes, shaped like toy alligators, conceal the instrument alleviating children's anxiety. This study aims to evaluate whether camouflaged syringes compared to conventional syringes have a favorable impact on the behavior and anxiety levels of the children according to variations in pulse rates, Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) behavior pain scale and facial image scale (FIS).
Materials and methods: The study included 60 children divided into two age-groups (3–6 years and 6–9 years). It was also registered in Clinical Trials Registry, India (CTRI) as a prospective study with CTRI number CTRI/2023/08/056189. Conventional syringes were used in the first appointment, and camouflaged syringes in the second, employing a split-mouth design. Prior to block administration, a topical anesthetic gel was applied. Pulse rates were noted before and during the block administrations using a pulse oximeter. Behavior was evaluated by the FLACC scale before and during the administration of local anesthesia (LA). After the injection, children were expressed their anxiety during the block administration using FIS. Paired sample <i>t</i>-tests were used for (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) assessing significant differences in bivariate samples.
Results: In 3–6-year-olds, camouflaged syringes significantly improved FLACC pain scale and reduced anxiety according to FIS during LA, positively impacting children's behavior.
Conclusion: Camouflaged syringes have a positive impact on children's behavior, especially in the 3–6-year-old age-group where cognitive abilities are limited. They enhance distraction, effectively reducing anxiety levels. |
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| ISSN: | 2582-1024 |