Randomized controlled trial study for preventing dental fear during caries treatments.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical effects of preventing dental fear (DF) by pre-operation-education or local anesthesia method during the process of tooth filling.


METHODS
150 school children, aged 7 to 12, participated present study. All of them suffered from occlusal caries on their mandibular first permanent molars. They were divided into 3 equal groups, and each had 50, 25 boys and 25 girls. Group1 (pre-operation-education): taking about 1 hour to show them science and educational video tape on caries, then, clinic environment, including machine and instruments, and answering their questions; Group2 (local anesthesia): about 15 minutes before treatment, injecting 1.8 ml of 2% lidocaine for local anesthesia; Group3 (blank): without any measurements for DF. After that, all subjects accepted same filling treatment as usual. DF of each case was evaluated by 3 evaluators blindly based on venham's clinical ratings of anxiety and cooperative.


RESULTS
Significant difference was found between groups (0.57 +/- 0.59, 0.83 +/- 0.66, 1.05 +/- 0.68, H = 18.646, P = 0.0001), also in DF rate (10%, 18% and 42%, chi(2) = 15.5031, P = 0.0004). But not between groups 1 and 2.


CONCLUSIONS
During decayed tooth filling treatment, pre-operation-education is better than that of local anesthesia method, in DF prevention.
Wu
Younong
Y
Department of Oral Medicine, School of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Shi
Zongdao
Z
Shi
Junnan
J
D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine