ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video eyewear in reducing disruptive behavior in a typical pediatric dental population during restorative treatment appointments. METHODS: One hundred twenty-eight 4- to 16-year-olds were recruited from a continuous sample of patients seen in an urban dental clinic. Direct observations of distress, self-reported measures of pain, and patient satisfaction were obtained in a randomized clinical trial comparing 2 different types of glasses: (1) wraparound video eyewear; and (2) sunglasses (typical treatment in this dental clinic). RESULTS: Analyses of covariance, using treatment condition (control vs experimental) as the primary independent variable and controlling for the effects of age, found that children wearing video eyewear glasses demonstrated significantly less disruptive behavior than those in the control group and that they liked their eyewear significantly better than those wearing the regular sunglasses. CONCLUSIONS: Wraparound video eyewear can be an effective approach to managing distress in children undergoing restorative dental treatment.
