Changing the lighting in your operatory can decrease anxiety for children during a dental visit, according to a study that will be published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Dr. Michele Shapiro of the Issie Shapiro Educational Center and colleagues from Hebrew University in Israel studied the effects of the sensory environment on the anxiety levels of 35 children between the ages of 6 and 11 -- 16 of whom were developmentally disabled -- during two separate routine cleaning visits to the dentist, according to a press release.
The first trip featured the typical sensory experiences of a dental office, including fluorescent lighting and the use of an overhead dental lamp.
During the second trip, no overhead lighting was used, a slow-moving repetitive color lamp was added, and the dental hygienist wore a special LED headlamp that directed the light into the child's mouth. The children listened to soothing music and were wrapped in a heavy vest meant to create a "hugging" effect. The dental chair itself was also modified to produce a vibration.
Dr. Shapiro and her colleagues found that anxiety levels decreased in all children when the sensory adapted environment was used. The duration of anxious behavior dropped significantly, from an average of 3.69 minutes to 1.48 minutes in typical children.
The decreased anxiety levels were even more notable in children with developmental disability, with averages dropping from 23.44 minutes to 9.04 minutes. Dr. Shapiro and her colleagues are hopeful that this new method may have a potential use in other medical settings as well, the press release concluded.
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