title: Effects of audiovisual distraction on children's behaviour during dental treatment: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dental anxiety leads to undesirable distresses such as avoidance of dental treatment and increase stress among caregivers that consequently affect the treatment quality. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of viewing videotaped cartoons using an eyeglass system (i-theatre™) as an audiovisual (AV) distraction technique on behaviour and anxiety in children receiving dental restorative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six consecutive children patients who presented for treatment and met inclusion criteria were included and randomly divided into two groups; a control group without distraction (CTR-group) and a distraction-group (AV-group). Three dental treatment visits were provided for each patient. Anxiety and cooperative behaviour were assessed with the Facial Image Scale (FIS) and the Modified Venham's clinical ratings of anxiety and cooperative behaviour scale (MVARS). The vital signs, blood pressure and pulse were also taken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AV-group showed significantly lower MVARS scores than the CTR-group (p = 0.029), and the scores decreased significantly during treatment in the AV-group (p = 0.04). Further, the pulse rate was significantly increased in the CTR-group during injection with local anaesthesia (p = 0.02), but not in the AV-group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AV distraction seems to be an effective method in reducing fear and anxiety in children during dental treatment. Further, children who used eyeglass goggle display as a distraction tool during dental treatment reported not only less anxiety than control groups but also showed more positive responses after injection with local anaesthesia. Hence, AV-distraction seems to be a useful tool to decrease the distress and dental anxiety during dental treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dental Medicine , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden ;|b Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences, Huddinge, Sweden ;|c Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Department, College of Dentistry , King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Khotani
authors.affiliation: c Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Department, College of Dentistry , King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Lanre A'aziz
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.affiliation: a Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dental Medicine , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden ;|b Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences, Huddinge, Sweden ;
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Christidis
mesh_terms: D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D002359:Cartoons as Topic; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Children; anxiety; behaviour; dental fear; restorative treatment