Dentist Toronto

New Study: Changing lighting can cut anxiety for children at the Dentist.

A trip to the dentist can be an anxious experience for children, but changing the lighting, adding soothing music and other sensory changes may help.

In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers in Israel compared anxiety levels among 35 children who took two routine cleaning visits to the dentists.

The children were between the ages of six and 11. Sixteen of the children had developmental disabilities, which may make them more prone to anxiety because of the sounds, smells and lights of a dentist’s office.

Dr. Michele Shapiro of the Issie Shapiro Educational Center and colleagues from Hebrew University measured anxiety levels of the children during the visits. The researchers used a behaviour checklist and monitored electrodermal activity, an objective measure of arousal.

The first trip was like a regular visit to the dentist, with fluorescent lighting and an overhead dental tamp.

In the second trip, researchers changed the setup so there was no overhead lighting, a slow moving, repetitive colour lamp was added and the dental hygienist wore a special LED headlamp that shone light into the child’s mouth.

The children also listened to soothing music and wore a heavy vest designed to feel like a hug. The dental chair itself was modified to vibrate.

All of the children showed lower anxiety levels under the new setup. “This new approach may even replace sedatives and other invasive procedures in the future,” said Shapiro.

Anxious behaviour didn’t last as long, dropping from an average of 3.69 minutes to 1.48 minutes in typical children. Among those with developmental disability, the change was even greater, with the average time for anxious behaviour dropping from 23.44 minutes to 9.04 minutes, the researchers said.

Don’t forget to look for Toronto Dentists who provide  specialized care for your children.