What the child “SAID” to the dentist: A UK randomized controlled trial

TY - JOUR

T1 - What the child “SAID” to the dentist

T2 - A UK randomized controlled trial

AU - Yee, R.

AU - Jones, L. M.

AU - Hosey, M. T.

PY - 2017/11/1

Y1 - 2017/11/1

N2 - Background: The electronic Survey of Anxiety and Information for Dentists (eSAID) allows children to tell dentists about their feelings and coping preferences. It is a computer “quiz” with 26 questions and free-text responses that produces a report for the children that they can then hand to their dentist. This is the first study to report the use of eSAID in a hospital paediatric dental clinic. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether children thought that eSAID benefitted them, made them less anxious, and improved cooperation and their treatment satisfaction. Fifty-one children aged 8–13 years were randomized to complete either eSAID or a control version in the waiting room before their scheduled dental appointment. The study group had a 26-item questionnaire; the control had only two items. Both groups scored their anxiety on a 7-point anxiety scale at the start and again at the end of the quiz. All subjects handed the resultant eSAID report as a printout to their dentist. Dental treatment proceeded as planned. After treatment, each child reported how they thought the eSAID quiz had benefitted them by scoring on a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale and their satisfaction on the Modified Treatment Evaluation Inventory. The operating dentists scored the children's cooperation using a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale. Results: Overall, the baseline anxiety levels were low (study: mean 1.2; control: mean 1.5). The study group's post-survey anxiety reduced by 0.4, whereas controls' increased by 0.2; this difference is statistically significant (p =.04). However, it made no difference to the children's self-reported benefit (p =.30), satisfaction (p >.05), or cooperation (p =.34). Conclusions: eSAID reduced pre-treatment anxiety but made no difference to children's perceived benefit, satisfaction, or cooperation. Future study should include known anxious children.

AB - Background: The electronic Survey of Anxiety and Information for Dentists (eSAID) allows children to tell dentists about their feelings and coping preferences. It is a computer “quiz” with 26 questions and free-text responses that produces a report for the children that they can then hand to their dentist. This is the first study to report the use of eSAID in a hospital paediatric dental clinic. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether children thought that eSAID benefitted them, made them less anxious, and improved cooperation and their treatment satisfaction. Fifty-one children aged 8–13 years were randomized to complete either eSAID or a control version in the waiting room before their scheduled dental appointment. The study group had a 26-item questionnaire; the control had only two items. Both groups scored their anxiety on a 7-point anxiety scale at the start and again at the end of the quiz. All subjects handed the resultant eSAID report as a printout to their dentist. Dental treatment proceeded as planned. After treatment, each child reported how they thought the eSAID quiz had benefitted them by scoring on a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale and their satisfaction on the Modified Treatment Evaluation Inventory. The operating dentists scored the children's cooperation using a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale. Results: Overall, the baseline anxiety levels were low (study: mean 1.2; control: mean 1.5). The study group's post-survey anxiety reduced by 0.4, whereas controls' increased by 0.2; this difference is statistically significant (p =.04). However, it made no difference to the children's self-reported benefit (p =.30), satisfaction (p >.05), or cooperation (p =.34). Conclusions: eSAID reduced pre-treatment anxiety but made no difference to children's perceived benefit, satisfaction, or cooperation. Future study should include known anxious children.

KW - dental anxiety

KW - eSAID

KW - paediatric dentistry

KW - perceived empathy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030475221&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/cch.12510

DO - 10.1111/cch.12510

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85030475221

SN - 0305-1862

VL - 43

SP - 926

EP - 932

JO - Child: Care Health and Development

JF - Child: Care Health and Development

IS - 6

ER -