Pain-related behaviour in children: a randomised study during two sequential dental visits

Aim
To determine the difference in pain- and distress-related behaviour in children between two consecutive dental treatment sessions using a computer-controlled local anaesthetic delivery system, with dental anxiety as co-variable.

Methods
A randomised prospective study over two sequential visits in three paediatric dental practices. For both visits 112 young, healthy children needing dental treatment were randomly assigned to either the use of the Wand® or the Sleeper One®. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 17. A significance level of p < 0.01 was used, correcting for conducting a high number of tests.

Results
Children showed significantly more muscle tension, more verbal protest, and more crying or screaming during the second treatment.

Conclusions
Sequential dental treatments seem to have a conditioning effect. It is important to know the level of dental anxiety to adjust the treatment sequence to the needs of the child.