SynthesisEvidence-based dentistry2025
Effectiveness of behavioural therapy and inhalational sedation in reducing dental anxiety among patients attending dental clinics - a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Evidence-based dentistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-Analysis of AI-Enabled and Digital Technology-Assisted Interventions for Dental Anxiety During Dental Treatment.Depression and anxiety · 2026Pooled it
- Odontophobia Across the Lifespan: Clinical Perspectives, Vulnerable Populations, and Inclusive Strategies for Dental Anxiety Management.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe study aims to compare the effectiveness of behavioural therapy and inhalational sedation in reducing dental anxiety among patients visiting dental clinics.
methodsA search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane databases, Scopus, and Google scholar through August 2024. All the randomized control trials, cohort studies, case control, cross-sectional studies that evaluated the effectiveness of behavioural therapy with inhalational/conscious sedation among children and adults to reduce dental anxiety were included. Outcome assessed was change in the dental anxiety scores as measured by the validated tools. PRISMA guidelines were followed for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted using Cochrane Review Manager (Revman) version 5.3. Random effects model was used to compare the two groups in reducing dental anxiety. Quality of the studies included was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool and Newcastle-Ottawa tool. Heterogeneity was assessed using I
resultsA total of 940 participants were included in the analysis. Behavioural therapy was significantly more effective than inhalational sedation in reducing dental anxiety among patients prior to the dental treatment (SMD: -0.87; 95% CI: -1.29 to -0.45; P < 0.0001; I
conclusionThe findings of this review and meta-analysis suggests that behavioural therapy is more effective than inhalational sedation in reducing dental anxiety specifically among children.
Indexed as
Identifiers
39506128What 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.