Background This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of external vibrating devices and counterstimulation on a child's dental anxiety, apprehension, and pain perception during local anesthetic administration. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, parallel-arm, single-blinded interventional, clinical trial. One hundred children aged 4–11 years, requiring pulp therapy or extraction under local anesthesia (LA), were recruited and allocated equally into two groups (1:1) based on the interventions used: Group BD (n = 50) received vibration using a Buzzy® device {MMJ Labs, Atlanta, GE, USA} as a behavior guidance technique; Group CS (n = 50) received counterstimulation for the same technique. Anxiety levels [Venham's Clinical Anxiety Rating Scale (VCARS), Venham Picture Test (VPT), Pulse oximeter {Gibson, Fingertip Pulse Oximeter}, Beijing, China)] were assessed before, during, and after LA administration, while pain perception [Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)] was evaluated immediately after injection. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test to assess the mean difference between the two groups and the repeated measures ANOVA for testing the mean difference in the pulse rates. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results Significant differences in mean pulse rate values were observed in both groups. In contrast, the children in the BD group had higher diminution (P < 0.05), whereas the mean VCARS and VPT scores were conspicuous (P < 0.05). Based on the mean WBFPS and VAS scores, delayed pain perception after LA injection was more prominent in the BD group than in the CS group. Conclusion External vibration using a Buzzy® device is comparatively better than counterstimulation in alleviating needle-associated anxiety in children requiring extraction and pulpectomy.

Background: Behavior guidance is a technique used to subdue inappropriate behavior by establishing communication that meets the needs of a child. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a mobile app (Little Lovely Dentist) compared to the tell-show-do (TSD) technique in managing anxious children during their first dental visit. Methods: Fifty children (30 boys and 20 girls) without any past dental experience, aged from 7 to 11 years, were randomly allocated into either the dental app group or the TSD group. The pre-and post-operative anxiety of children who underwent prophylactic cleaning was assessed both physiologically and subjectively using a heart rate measurement and the RMS pictorial scale, respectively. Results: The intragroup comparison of heart rate and RMS scores for children allocated to the dental app group was statistically significant (P value ≤ 0.001). However, a significant reduction only occurred in the RMS scores, but not the heart rate measurements, in the TSD group. Conversely, there was an increase in heart rates in the TSD group. Conclusion: Educating the child prior to a dental procedure using a smartphone application such as Little Lovely Dentist can significantly alleviate the anticipatory anxiety and engage children in dental treatment during their first visit.

Background Dental pain exerts a considerable impact on the psychosocial well‐being of children; reliable management of pain depends on the ability to assess pain intensity. Aim To validate and compare a new memojis pain assessment scale with the Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS‐R) and Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) in assessing dental pain experienced by children. Design Two hundred and fifty healthy children aged 5–9 years without any past dental experience and requiring local anaesthesia (LA) administration were recruited. Three different scales [FPS‐R, WBFPS and Memojis Pain Scale (MPS)] were applied to assess the children's pain during LA administration. The preferences of each child based on the ease of understanding the faces were recorded. Results Pearson correlation test was performed to determine the correlation between MPS with WBFPS and MPS with FPS‐R. A strong correlation was seen when comparing MPS with WBFPS (r = .966; p < .001) and MPS with FPS‐R (r = .969; p < .001), and 81.6% of the children preferred MPS. Conclusion The Memojis Pain Scale was an effective pain assessment tool. It can be employed as an alternative scale for pain assessment in children.

Background: Effective communication with children can improve their understanding and aid in complying with oral hygiene instructions. Aim: The aim is to compare the retentiveness of oral hygiene instructions in children educated using three communication techniques. Methodology: One hundred and twenty children in the age range of 12–13 years were included in the study. Baseline awareness of oral hygiene maintenance was assessed using a questionnaire. Twenty children were randomly assigned to each group: Tell-Tell-Tell, Ask-Tell-Ask, Teach-back, and information provided. Knowledge was reassessed after a week; data were tabulated and assessed statistically. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline data among the groups (P > 0.05). Regardless of the group, there was an improvement in knowledge regarding the frequency and timing of brushing as well as the cause of dental caries after the intervention. However, children in Ask-Tell-Ask and Teach back showed significant improvement over Tell-Tell-Tell (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: Communication strategies, such as Ask-Tell-Ask and Teach back, which have a strategy to involve children, have been shown to be superior over Tell-Tell-Tell.

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