Influence of the Hall Technique on Patient Cooperation: A Retrospective Analysis

Child's cooperation and behaviour in paediatric dentistry are largely determined by the nature of the treatment. Minimally invasive, faster, and more comfortable treatments can lead to greater cooperation and improved behaviour. Objectives: To assess the impact of the Hall technique (HT) on children's behaviour over time across three consecutive treatment sessions through a retrospective analysis. Methods: The analysis included children aged 3 to 10 years treated with the HT, with both a pre- and post-Hall technique appointment within a 6-month period. The level of cooperation at each visit was assessed using the Frankl behaviour rating scale (FBRS). The FBRS scores from the three visits: T1 (first treatment session), T2 (Hall technique session), and T3 (follow-up session) were analysed to predict the endpoint (T3-T1) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In addition, an ordinal logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between variables and behavioural change. Results: Of the 90 children included in this study (mean age 5.9 ± 1.56 years; 50 boys, 55.6%), the proportion of patients exhibiting extremely positive/positive behaviour increased steadily over the sessions, from 56.7% at T1 to 76.7% at T2 to 91.1% at T3. The initial behaviour at T1 was the only significant predictor (p < 0.0001) of the improvement in behaviour (T3-T1) in the ordinal logistic regression model, which also included variables such as age, sex of the patient, and the treating dentist. Conclusions: The Hall technique had a significant positive effect on improving children's behaviour over the course of treatment.