Using Guided Imagery to Relieve the Anxiety of Preschool Children Undergoing Dental Procedures

Abstract

Purpose: Negative experiences in dental clinics can induce anxiety in patients, and the effects are particularly pronounced in children. When behavior guidance methods (eg, direct observation, tell-show-do, and ask-tell-ask) fail, general anesthesia is an important alternative; however, the procedure of anesthesia can also induce fear and anxiety. This study assessed the effectiveness of guided imagery in relieving the anxiety associated with dental surgery in children and caregivers. Design: A prospective randomized trial with two groups. Methods: The guided imagery in this study was meant to establish a rapport between the medical team and the patient, by encouraging the child to imagine having an adventure while riding in a spacecraft. Anxiety levels and behavior were measured using five well-established scales: the modified Yale Preoperative Scale-Short Form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-6 items, the Watcha score, the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergent Delirium scale, and the Posthospitalization Behavioral Questionnaire-Ambulatory Surgery. Findings: The results indicate that the guided imagery had no significant effects on anxiety levels. Conclusions: Guided imagery is a low-cost, easy-to-implement, interesting exercise capable of enhancing interactions between nursing staff and children. It may also help to condition children to the environment and thereby assist them in overcoming their fears.

Effect of virtual reality application on preoperative anxiety level among children undergoing surgery

“…This might be explained by the fact that virtual reality application might help children and their parents to calm down, feel less panicky, and spend less time in counseling. This finding is in line with findings from Fincher et al (2012) and Ko et al (2021), who found that it is thought that between 50 and 70 percent of hospitalized children feel extreme anxiety and anguish before surgery. A similar conclusion was made by Nisha and Umarani (2013), who focused on the fact that children are more susceptible to anxiety and examined the impact of play interventions on the alleviation of anxiety in preoperative children.…”