Management of dental anxiety via distraction technique

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a stress ball as a distraction technique on stress levels of patients undergoing a dental procedure. Material and Methods A randomized, split-mouth design was conducted using 20 adult subjects requiring scaling and root planing (Sc/RP) in all four quadrants. Each side of the mouth (maxillary/mandibular) received Sc/RP with local anesthetic with or without the use of a stress-ball distraction over two separate sessions. Subjects completed two pre-procedural questionnaires (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI; Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, MDAS) before and after each treatment session. A Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensor (Neulog) was used throughout each session to measure skin conductance or sweat. Results No significant difference in GSR scores was found during treatment with or without the use of the stress ball. Also, no significant differences in the change in STAI or MDAS scores were found with or without the use of a stress ball. Conclusions The results of this study found that the use of a stress ball as a distraction technique did not result in any significant reduction in stress levels in subjects undergoing scaling and root planing with local anesthesia. Key words: Anxiety, distraction, stress ball.

The Relationship between Dental Fear and Anxiety, General Anxiety/Fear, Sensory Over-Responsivity, and Oral Health Behaviors and Outcomes: A Conceptual Model

“…Many of the interventions designed to address DFA in children, such as modeling or distraction techniques, have limited evidence to support their use [ 15 , 28 , 235 , 236 ]. Research findings examining distraction and modeling techniques are mixed, with some studies reporting a decrease in DFA, whereas others found either mixed results or no difference (e.g., [ 237 , 238 , 239 , 240 , 241 , 242 , 243 , 244 , 245 , 246 , 247 , 248 , 249 , 250 , 251 , 252 , 253 , 254 ]). Tell–show–do, one of the most popular techniques utilized by dentists, likewise has little evidence to support its efficacy; however, it is widely accepted by children and parents, and there are no contraindications for its use [ 28 ].…”

The Effect of Using a Stress Ball During Endoscopy on Pain, Anxiety, and Satisfaction

“…In another study, anxiety after cystoscopy was also significantly lower in the stress ball group than in the control group (Gezginci, Iyigun, Kibar, et al, 2018). However, in their study of stress balls used in the management of dental anxiety, Torres-Gomez, Arnason, Hoopes, and Vandewalle (2021) observed no significant difference in anxiety scores between patients who did and did not use a stress ball. Similarly, in another study examining the effect of distraction methods during lithotripsy, no significant difference was found between the stress ball and control group in terms of anxiety levels (Gezginci, Iyigun, Yalcin, et al, 2018).…”

“…sedated endoscopy is done by administering sedative agents to the patient during endoscopy (Obara et al, 2015;teh, shabbir, yuen, & so, 2020). However, performing endoscopy under sedation can lead to many complications.…”

“…In particular, adverse effects of sedation on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are common. Complications such as hypoxemia, allergic reactions (to drugs, latex), malignant hyperthermia, hypoventilation, airway obstruction, respiratory and circulatory depression, hypotension, bradycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, apnea, hypoxia, nausea, and hiccups may occur due to sedation (Obara et al, 2015;s ¸ims ¸ek, 2016).Unsedated endoscopy is less risky and allows patients to return to their lives more easily. In turkey,…”

Psychophysiological wellbeing in a class of dental students attending dental school: anxiety, burnout, post work executive performance and a 24 hours physiological investigation during a working day

“…Particularly, psychophysiological variables are gaining interest in the assessment of stress and burnout in the field of occupational medicine ( De Looff et al, 2018 ). Recent findings in Dentistry suggest that they can also supply information to assess dental anxiety in patients ( Drury and Simonetti, 2019 ; Košir et al, 2021 ; Torres-Gomez et al, 2021 ).…”