[Clinical effects of training in behavior management on handicapped patients in dentistry]

Behavior-therapeutic training was applied to patients who were not cooperative in dental surroundings and could not be managed for dental treatment. The training was continued from the first to the final visit and also at periodical checkups. The clinical effects of training were evaluated. The subjects were 150 handicapped child patients who visited the pedodontic clinic of Aichi-Gakuin University. The patients were classified into two groups according to the degree of cooperation regarding dental treatment during the first visit; 1) the slightly uncooperative group and 2) the uncooperative group. The results were as follows: 1. Training applied prior to actual dental treatment caused 48.7 per cent of the patients to accept routine dental treatment. 2. When N2O/O2 inhalation sedation was added to the training, 79.0 per cent of the slightly uncooperative group were able to accept dental treatment under conseious situation, and 46.0 per cent of the uncooperative group were able to accept it. 3. Continuous training caused 60.7 per cent of all patients to become cooperative. 4. Continuous training was effective with 95.3 per cent of the patients who experienced N2O/O2 sedation, 76.8 per cent of the patients who experienced general anesthesia and 71.2 per cent of the patients who experienced routine dental treatment.