Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to reduce anxiety in pediatric dentistry

Dental anxiety presents an ever-present challenge in pediatric dentistry. With the development of dental medicine, new discoveries make undergoing dental therapy easier for patients and reduce their anxiety during dental procedures. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a therapeutic approach applied to make medical procedures more bearable to patients.

This research aimed to examine the possibilities of reducing dental anxiety in children by using TENS.

A total of 125 children aged 9-14 years were included in the study. The respondents were divided into 3 groups. Group A was treated using no anesthesia for the procedure, group B using TENS, and group C with local anesthesia. All respondents underwent a similar dental procedure. The same protocol was used while treating their first permanent molar.

The results show that TENS serves as a distraction to patients, and therefore reduces their anxiety during dental procedures. Anxiety after the procedure was significantly lower in the TENS group as compared to the group that did not receive local anesthesia, and even in comparison with the group that received local anesthesia.

The TENS device proved to be a useful tool for pediatric dentists to distract their younger patients and make them less anxious, and therefore more cooperative during dental treatment.