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Dentist's reassuring touch: effects on children's behavior

P E Greenbaum1, M A Lumley, C Turner

  • 1Department of Child and Family Studies/Department of Psychology, University of South Florida.

Pediatric Dentistry
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
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A reassuring touch during pediatric dental exams reduced anxiety and fidgeting in older children (7-10 years). This simple intervention improved behavior and patient experience in the dental setting.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Psychology
  • Health Care Interventions

Background:

  • Physical contact by healthcare providers can alleviate patient fear and avoidance.
  • The impact of reassuring touch on children's anxiety during dental procedures is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if reassuring touch reduces anxiety and improves behavior in children during routine dental examinations.
  • To determine the effectiveness of touch as an intervention in pediatric dental care.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-eight children (3.5-10 years) were randomized into touch and no-touch groups.
  • The touch group received gentle pats on the arm/shoulder with verbal reassurance.
  • The control group received only verbal reassurance during the dental examination.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Children aged 7-10 in the touch group showed significantly less fidgeting behavior (P < 0.05).
  • No significant difference in fidgeting was observed in younger children (3.5-7 years).
  • Touched children reported trends toward greater pleasure (P < 0.06) and less dominance (P < 0.10).

Conclusions:

  • Reassuring touch can be an effective strategy to improve behavior in older children during dental visits.
  • The benefits of touch may be age-dependent, with older children benefiting more.
  • Touch interventions warrant further investigation for enhancing pediatric dental patient care.