Effect of Hoberman Sphere on Behavior, Anxiety, and Pain in Children during Buccal Infiltration Anesthesia: A...

To appraise the effectiveness of deep breathing exercises in lowering dental anxiety, behavior, and pain in children aged 7-11 years utilizing a Hoberman sphere during maxillary buccal infiltration.

A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 70 children aged 7-11 years who were randomly assigned to two groups, with 35 in each group. Children in group I were trained for deep breathing exercises with a Hoberman sphere, whereas those in group II (control group) were taught the classic Tell Show Do technique. Children's reactions to maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia were assessed using Frankl's behavior rating scale, the facial image scale (FIS), and the pulse rate, as well as the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS) and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scales. Data were tabulated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Kruskal-Wallis test for distribution. The independent Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test (for quantitative variables) and the Chi-square test or Mann-Whitney test (for qualitative variables) were used.

A substantial change in pulse rate during injection was seen in the Hoberman sphere group (p < 0.001). Subjective and objective pain scores were lower in the Hoberman sphere group compared to the control group, which was statistically significant (p = 0.012 and p = 0.0063). There was no significant difference in behavior between the two groups (p = 0.845).

Children's dental anxiety and pain during maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia were effectively reduced when they used the Hoberman sphere for deep breathing exercises. However, there was no improvement in dental behavior.

One promising method for easing the psychological and physical discomfort experienced by kids with dental anxiety is diaphragmatic breathing. By diverting the child's attention from unpleasant stimuli, the Hoberman sphere helps to relax and correct breathing while also reducing dental anxiety, behavior, and discomfort.

Yendodu V, Nirmala SVSG. Effect of Hoberman Sphere on Behavior, Anxiety, and Pain in Children during Buccal Infiltration Anesthesia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2025;18(11):1339-1344.