Watching cartoons ‘can help children overcome dental anxiety’

Showing children cartoons through video glasses can help them to overcome anxiety related to dental treatment, according to a new study.

The research was carried out at the Royal College of Dentistry at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and involved 56 children between the ages of seven and nine who were considered to be uncooperative during treatment.

Some of the children were given an audiovisual distraction of watching their favourite cartoons using the eyeglass system Merlin i-theatre, while the others were not. They then underwent three separate treatment visits involving an oral examination, injection with local anaesthetic, and tooth restoration.

The children who were able to watch cartoons exhibited significantly less anxiety and showed more cooperation than those in the control group, particularly during the local anaesthetic injection, while the average pulse rate of these children was significantly lower.

It suggests audiovisual distraction can be a useful technique to calm children during essential dental appointments, although it was noted that larger studies may be needed to confirm this.

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