Effect of video assisted modelling on vital signs during dental procedures under rubber dam placement in children

Abstract

Background information- Modeling refers to learning by observation and children may reproduce behavior exhibited by the model in the same situation. Several studies on modeling have demonstrated its therapeutic effect in management of anxiety and educational effect in improving coping skills of children in stressful situations. Often in pediatricpatients placement of rubber dam is omitted in certain age groups as it is assumed to cause stress or because of lack of compliance from the patient. Aim – To evaluate the effect of video assisted modelling on arterial pulse and blood pressure after rubber dam placement during dental procedures in children of 8-10 years age. Methodology- Total 32 patients of 8-10 years of age with Class I caries lesion on mandibular teeth which can be restored were selected. All the selected patients were divided into two groups, Group A- in which video assisted modelling was done before rubber dam placement and Group B- in which modelling was not done. In both the groups, the patient’s parameters such as blood pressure and pulse rate which denotes stress levels were recorded at three measuring points i.e before starting procedure, after rubber dam placement and after completion of procedure. In all patients, caries excavation followed by restoration was carried out. Results- During the procedure, significant increase in blood pressure and pulse rate was seen in Group B after rubber dam placement. Comparison of pulse rate between two groups showed non-significant difference between Group A and Group B before treatment, and after completion of the treatment but showed significant difference after rubber dam placement. Conclusion- Though stress levels are increased during dental procedures effective behavior management technique should be used to make the treatment more patient friendly. Video assisted modelling is an effective technique which can help pretrain patients to reduce treatment induced anxiety.

Keywords: Modelling, Rubber dam, behaviour management, dental anxiety, dental fear