ArticleJournal of dentistry (Tehran, Iran)2018
Effects of Pretreatment Exposure to Dental Practice Using a Smartphone Dental Simulation Game on Children's Pain and Anxiety: A Preliminary Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.
Article in Journal of dentistry (Tehran, Iran), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Technology-Based Interventions for Pain in Children Undergoing Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of nursing practice · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of scenario-experiential behavior management techniques on dental fear in preschool children with dental caries: a randomized controlled trial.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Effectiveness of a dental simulation game on reducing pain and anxiety during primary molars pulpotomy compared with tell-show-do technique in pediatric patients: a randomized clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- Efficacy of a Self-Hypnotic Relaxation App on Pain and Anxiety in a Randomized Clinical Trial: Results and Considerations on the Design of Active and Control Apps.The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosisTrial
- Incorporating the Psychological Perspective into Traditional Prevention in Pediatric Dentistry with the PaFein+ Project: Trained Parents Can Help.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Impact of Mobile Oral Health Applications on Pediatric Dental Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Cureus · 2026Review
- Comparison of Three Behavior Modification Techniques for Management of Anxious Pediatric Dental Patients Aged 4-6 Years during Cavity Preparation Using Airotor: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry · 2026Article
- Risk factors for dental anxiety and cooperativeness in pediatric patients with or without oral habits (bruxism, nail biting, and thumb sucking).BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Are technological contributions in behavior guidance techniques superior to conventional methods?: Effects on dental anxiety and pain perception.BMC oral health · 2025Observational
- Navigating the World of Pediatric Dental Mobile Applications for Behavior Modification Using User Version Mobile App Rating Scale.International journal of clinical pediatric dentistry · 2025Article
- Reducing Dental Anxiety in Children Using a Mobile Health App: Usability and User Experience Study.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Preparing Children for Their First Dental Visit: A Guide for Parents.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Teledentistry and its applications in paediatric dentistry: A literature review.Pediatric dental journal : international journal of Japanese Society of Pediatric Dentistry · 2021Review
- Comparison of three behavior modification techniques for management of anxious children aged 4-8 years.Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesStudies on modeling a pre-exposure technique for the prevention of anxiety in children are rare, and there is no study on interactive modeling using computer games. We assessed the effect of playing a dental simulation game before operation on pain and anxiety in 4- to 7-year-old children during their first dental treatment session. MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 50 children needing unilateral pulpotomy and placement of stainless-steel crowns (SSC) on mandibular primary first molars were enrolled and randomly divided into experimental (a simulation game) and control (no intervention) groups. The experimental group played the game twice a day for two weeks before the scheduled visit. At the dental session, their pre- and post-operative pains were recorded using the Wong-Baker Facial Rating Scale (W-BFRS). Also, heart rate (HR; as an indicator of anxiety) was measured using a finger pulse oximeter at six treatment stages: (1) baseline (at the initial session, two weeks before treatment) and (2-6) during different stages of treatment. Effects of playing the simulation on pain and HR were analyzed using t-test and repeated-measures two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
resultsGame playing significantly reduced the HR (P=0.031). The interaction of playing with the treatment period was also significant (P=0.004). When the groups were compared in each of the six time points, the experimental group showed reduced HR during anesthetic injection and cavity preparation using a high-speed handpiece (P<0.003).
conclusionsBased on the results, playing certain dental simulation games before the first dental visit might reduce the anxiety felt during anesthetic injections and drilling.
Indexed as
Identifiers
30405734PMC6218467W2888455866What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.