Background and Aim: Space maintenance is an important process in the mixed dentition as a preventive measure for multiple malocclusion problems related to the loss of arch length. The awareness of parents and the satisfaction of children are two critical factors determining the efficacy of space maintainers. The aim of this study was to assess the level of parents' awareness of space maintainers in their children's oral cavity and the level of their children's satisfaction with these appliances. Materials and Methods: In the present descriptive-analytical study, a questionnaire was completed by 200 elementary school children, aged 6-12 years old, and by their parents, which was consisted of four main categories: 1) demographic data, 2) parents' occupation and educational level, 3) parents' awareness of the uses and maintenance of space maintainers, 4) children's satisfaction with space maintainers. Data collected from these questionnaires were analyzed in Stata 14 software. The significance level was set at P<0.05. Results: The mean awareness score of the parents was 57%, with no significant relationship with their educational level or occupation (P=0.819). The mean score of the children's satisfaction was 74%; however, the satisfaction significantly decreased with age (P=0.05). There was a significant correlation between children's satisfaction and the type of space maintainer (P=0.0001). Conclusion: The level of awareness of parents about the usage, maintenance, and advantages of space maintainers was average, whereas the satisfaction of children with the usage, maintenance, and comfort of space maintainers was high.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of laughter therapy on reducing anxiety and pain during dental procedures in children 5-7 years of age. Material and Methods: 48 children aged 5-7 years were included in this cross-over double-blinded clinical trial after the parents completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorder questionnaire (SCARED). After allocation into two groups: laughter intervention (A) and neutral intervention (B), the anxiety as well as pain were determined by Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale Faces questionnaire (MCDASF) and the Wong-Baker Faces Scale, respectively. Also, the child's behavior during the treatment was recorded using the Sound, Eye, Motor scale (SEM). Data were analyzed by SPSS 21 using Paired t-test, Independent t-test, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon's test.
Results:The mean score of anxiety in the laughter intervention group (17.42±2.74) was significantly less than (22.06±2.16) in the neutral intervention group (p=0.000) and lower in boys in both groups (p=0.000, p=0.047). The mean pain severity reported by the children in the neutral intervention group (5.33±1.81) was higher than in the laughter intervention group (2.38±1.87; p=0.00) and higher in girls in both groups (p=0.02; p=0.03). Conclusion: The laughter intervention before dental procedures had a significant effect on reducing anxiety and pain during dental treatment.
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