Effect of AI-Supported Child-Friendly Communication on Dental Anxiety in Pediatric Patients
Evaluation of the Effect of Traditional Behavior Management Techniques and AI-Assisted Child-Friendly Communication on Dental Anxiety in Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Applications
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University
60 participants
Oct 15, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This study compares the effects of traditional behavior management techniques and AI-assisted child-friendly communication on dental anxiety, physiological stress, and pain perception during local anesthesia in healthy children aged 6-12. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of AI-supported communication tools in reducing anxiety and improving comfort in pediatric dental treatments, potentially enhancing clinical outcomes and advancing technology use in pediatric dentistry.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria5
- Children volunteers and their parents/legal guardians who have read and signed the informed consent form and agreed to participate in the study
- Systemically healthy children aged 6-12 years in the mixed dentition period
- Children requiring restorative dental procedures (including pulpotomy, pulp capping, or composite restorations) on mandibular teeth under inferior alveolar nerve block local anesthesia
- Children who are attending their first dental visit and demonstrate behavior rated as 2 (negative) or 3 (positive) according to the Frankl Behavior Rating Scale (Categories: 1 - definitely negative; 2 - negative; 3 - positive; 4 - definitely positive) Behaviors will be categorized as positive (+) or negative (-) based on the Frankl Behavior Rating Scale (Wright's modification)
- Children receiving local anesthesia for the first time
Exclusion Criteria5
- Children volunteers and their parents/legal guardians who read the informed consent form but declined to participate in the study
- Children with systemic diseases requiring continuous medication
- Children with mental or cognitive impairments, as well as those with visual or hearing disabilities
- Children who, after oral prophylaxis at the first visit, exhibit "definitely negative" (Frankl 1) or "definitely positive" (Frankl 4) behavior according to the Frankl Behavior Rating Scale
- Children with previous experience of local anesthesia
Interventions
Before local anesthesia, traditional behavior management techniques will be applied by the pediatric dentist based on clinical experience. These include a modified Tell-Show-Do approach (avoiding direct exposure to anxiety-provoking items like dental syringes), voice control, and positive reinforcement. The anesthesia procedure will be explained verbally in an age-appropriate and reassuring manner, for example by describing the use of a "magic sleepy spray" to numb the tooth. Following this, topical anesthesia and then local anesthesia will be administered. The total procedure will not exceed 5 minutes.
AI-assisted communication tailored to the developmental stage, age, and gender of children aged 7-12 will be used. Using ChatGPT, voice recordings explaining the local anesthesia process in a child-friendly and reassuring way-avoiding anxiety-provoking terms such as "pain" and "needle"-will be prepared. Additionally, a one-minute calming and distracting story will be generated to be played during anesthesia to reduce anxiety and improve cooperation. Children will listen to the AI-generated explanation before the procedure and the story during anesthesia.
Locations(1)
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NCT07133919