PURPOSE:
Internet social media offers a rich source for soliciting the public's views on health issues. This qualitative research, using You-Tube as a platform, aimed to explore the public's perspectives on management of dental fear and anxiety (DFA) in pediatric patients.
METHODS:
Using three keywords ("dental fear," "dental phobia," and "dental anxiety"), YouTube videos were searched. Twenty-seven videos related to DFA in children and adolescents were reviewed by three investigators, including a nondental layperson. Inductive thematic analysis was adopted for interpreting the data.
RESULTS:
Several strategies were considered useful for controlling DFA in pediatric patients, including: verbal and nonverbal communication to establish closeness and effective guidance (explanation, permission-seeking, reassurance, and negotiation); desensitization to dental settings and procedures; tell-show-do; positive reinforcement; distraction by imagination and thoughtful designs of clinic; and parental presence and support. Some self-coping strategies adopted by patients alleviated their DFA, such as self-reasoning and trust-building through long-term connection. Dentists' clinical competence, favorable treatment outcomes, and state-of-the-art devices and technologies (dental lasers, intraoral camera, and adapted anaesthesia method) contributed to reducing DFA.
CONCLUSIONS:
Authentic testimonials in YouTube videos endorsed and interpreted a variety of strategies adoptable by patients, parents, and dental professionals for managing children's and adolescents' dental fears and anxieties.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical retention capabilities of a self-etch adhesive system (experimental group) and conventional acid-etch (control group) techniques and compare the caries incidence within six months and 24 months of follow-up periods. Methods: A total of 47 healthy children with a mean age of 9.7 years and either sound or noncavitated erupted permanent first molars were included in the trial. A total of 188 molars were randomly assigned in a split-mouth design for the self-etch mode in the universal adhesive or conventional acid-etch. Differences in sealant retention and caries incidence were compared at six and 24 months after sealant placement using a chi-square test. Results: Within 24 months of follow-up, the retention of fissure sealant applied using conventional acid etching (41 out of 66; 62.1 percent) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the fissure sealant applied using self-etching mode in the universal adhesive system (17 out of 66; 25.8 percent). There was no significant difference in caries incidence between the two groups up to 24 months after sealant placement. Conclusion: With 24 months of follow-up, the retention of the conventional acid-etching technique were superior to those of the self-etch technique.