Effect of Audiovisual Distraction on the Management of Dental Anxiety in Children: A Systematic Review

Background: Audiovisual distraction, a non-pharmacological intervention, has been used to manage dental anxiety in prior clinical trials.

Aim: Synthesize the available evidences to evaluate the efficacy of audiovisual distraction techniques on the management of dental anxiety in children.

Design: Electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase) were searched. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and methodological quality of included trials was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's criteria. Information on reported anxiety, pain, behaviors, vital signs (including blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pulse rate), and children satisfaction was analyzed.

Results: Nine studies were included for a systematic review, and none of them had low risk of bias. Significant differences in anxiety were found. According to the study, a majority of results indicated a significant difference in pain and behavior between the audiovisual and control group. Three studies reported children in the audiovisual group preferred usage of an audiovisual device for future dental visits. No significant differences could be found regarding blood pressure.

Conclusions: There is some low-quality evidence suggesting that the usage of audiovisual distraction during dental treatment may relieve children's dental anxiety.