Clinicians should appreciate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) headsets for managing both the anxiety and the behaviour of non-cooperative paediatric patients who require treatment over several dental appointments. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of using a VR headset as a distraction for managing the anxiety and behaviour of paediatric patients during their dental treatment. Eighty patients, aged between five and ten years old and who required dental treatment over three or more appointments, were randomly allocated into two groups. One group used a VR headset during all their appointments, and the other one did not use any distraction technique. The patients were asked to take a Facial Image Scale Test during their first and last appointments to assess their level of anxiety. Additionally, the dentist completed the Frankl Test to quantify the child’s behaviour at the beginning and the end of their treatment. The results obtained, both from the group using the VR headset and from the control group, were compared using the chi-square test. The use of a VR headset during dental treatment significantly reduced anxiety (95% of the children were happy) and improved behaviour (100% positive behaviour) as compared with the control group (40% and 57.5%, respectively). A VR headset can effectively distract a paediatric patient, helping to reduce anxiety and manage behaviour during dental treatment
It is therefore extremely important that toothbrushes are stored in a suitable place, and undergo frequent disinfection, in order to prevent the growth of microorganisms. The bristles can, therefore, be contaminated thanks to the oral cavity itself or the surrounding environment. [3] The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbial contamination of covered (CT) versus uncovered toothbrushes (UT). Materials and methods: After study approval by the Ethics Committee of the Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Egas Moniz (Protocol 587), students of Dentistry at Instituto Universit ario Egas Moniz were invited to participate in this study. Inclusion criteria: being capable of performing daily oral hygiene and signing the informed consent. Exclusion criteria: not following the protocol or being under the effect of antibiotics or antifungals. Following the informed consent, each participant was given a toothbrush and instructions regarding its use of oral hygiene, for 3 weeks. The participants were divided by simple random sampling, in two groups of 15 participants each, according to the toothbrush being covered or uncovered. After the 3 weeks period, the toothbrushes were collected and processed in order to evaluate the microbial content. They were submerged in a sterile saline solution which was used to inoculate different culture medium. Results: The sample was composed of 30 students, 77% of them women, with an average age of 21.9 (±1.7) years. All the CT (100%) showed viable aerobic microorganisms isolates (2.3 Â 10 6 ± 2.2 Â 10 6 cfu/toothbrush), but on UT only 93.3% presented microorganisms growth (1.2 Â 10 6 ± 1.9 Â 10 6 ). No beta hemolytic microorganisms were found in both CT and UT, and alfa hemolytic were found only in CT (20%). Staphylococcus mannitol positive were found on 66.6% of CT and 53.3% of UT. Oral Streptococci were isolated in 37.3% of CT, and in 30.6% of UT. Enterobacteriaceae were isolated in both CT and UT in an identical percentage (33.3%), being E. coli isolated in a higher percentage in CT (20% vs. 6.6% on UT). Candida albicans was only isolated on UT (on 6.6% of samples). Discussion and conclusions: Our results show that toothbrushes were heavily contaminated with different microorganisms, and suggest that contamination does not depend on toothbrush covering.
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