Comparison of Verbal, Braille, and Tactile Methods in Overcoming Anxiety Before Dental Procedures in Visually Impaired Children: To Overcome Anxiety Using Cognition and Hands (TOUCH)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety assessment for visually impaired children is important. Having a clear understanding of a child's anxiety can help tailor the best approach to care for their individual needs. AIM: This study, To Overcome anxiety Using Cognition & Hands (TOUCH), aimed to assess the anxiety levels of visually impaired children before and after administration of the sealant procedure, after explaining the pit and fissure sealant procedure through three different methods: verbal, verbal with Braille, and verbal with tactile demonstration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 children aged 7-9 years were included in this study from a school for visually impaired children. Children were divided into three equal groups: (i) Group A - Verbal (control group), (ii) Group B - Verbal-Braille, and (iii) Group C - Verbal-Tactile. Pre- and post-intervention anxiety levels were measured in each group using the Raghavendra, Madhuri, Sujata Tactile Scale (RMS-TS) and pulse rate monitoring. RESULTS: All groups showed a decrease in anxiety, but a significant decrease in anxiety was found in the verbal-tactile group and verbal-braille group. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that using a combination of verbal, braille, and tactile methods to explain the dental procedure effectively reduced anxiety in blind children.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.85810
Authors: Sandhyarani Huddar, Uttkarsha Garad, Anil Patil, Sujatha P, Amit Kolekar, Mrunmayi Patil
Institution: Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University)
Language: English
Subfield: Oral Surgery
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411254594