A clinical trial on using a handmade dental memory card game to reduce the anxiety of children visiting to the dental office for the first time

Effectiveness of a dental memory card game in reducing the dental anxiety of children aged 5- 10 years visiting the dental office for the first time – A randomized control trial. - NIL

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

CTRI

Registry ID

CTRI/2023/11/060238

Enrollment

Registered

2023-11-24

Start date

Unknown

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-08-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Health Condition 1: K050- Acute gingivitis Health Condition 2: K025- Dental caries on pit and fissure surface Health Condition 3: K026- Dental caries on smooth surface

Interventions

Intervention1: Handmade customised Dental memory card game: 15 handmade customised flash cards illustrating the dental operatory, the dentists, and the instruments used in the dental office are made.

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Children 5- 10 years of age visiting dentists requiring preventive and restorative treatments including, fluoride application, pit and fissure sealant application, oral prophylaxis, and restorations for the first time. 2.Children of Frankl behavior rating 3 ( NEGATIVE)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Children of Frankl behavior rating 1,2,4 (DEFINITELY POSITIVE, POSITIVE, DEFINITELY NEGATIVE) 2. Children complaining of pain and the presence of any abscess or fistula. 3. Children requiring local anesthesia for their treatment. 4. Children with any systemic complications, developmental disabilities, and cognitive disorders.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Outcome parameters: The dental anxiety of the children will be measured using the following scales 1. RMS Pictorial Scale (RMS-PS) (scores 1-5 less anxious – very anxious) 2. Frankl behavior rating score ( 1-4 definitely negative to definitely positive) Timepoint: On the same day at 6 points 1.Before the treatment (on entering the hospital) 2.After intervention(memory card game/communication) 3.During the dental screening 4.After the dental screening 5.Before the dental treatment 6.After the dental treatment (preventive and restorative procedures)	—

Measure

Time frame

Outcome parameters: The dental anxiety of the children will be measured using the following scales 1. RMS Pictorial Scale (RMS-PS) (scores 1-5 less anxious – very anxious) 2. Frankl behavior rating score ( 1-4 definitely negative to definitely positive) Timepoint: On the same day at 6 points 1.Before the treatment (on entering the hospital) 2.After intervention(memory card game/communication) 3.During the dental screening 4.After the dental screening 5.Before the dental treatment 6.After the dental treatment (preventive and restorative procedures)

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Heart rate(beats per minute) using pulse oximeter. Oxygen saturation (percentage) using pulse oximeter. Timepoint: On the same day at 6 points 1. Before the treatment (on entering the hospital) 2. After intervention(memory card game/communication) 3. During the dental screening 4. After the dental screening 5. Before the dental treatment 6. After the dental treatment (preventive & restorative procedures)	—

Measure

Time frame

Heart rate(beats per minute) using pulse oximeter. Oxygen saturation (percentage) using pulse oximeter. Timepoint: On the same day at 6 points 1. Before the treatment (on entering the hospital) 2. After intervention(memory card game/communication) 3. During the dental screening 4. After the dental screening 5. Before the dental treatment 6. After the dental treatment (preventive & restorative procedures)

—

Countries

India

Contacts

Public ContactDr Daya Srinivasan

Chettinad Dental College and Research Institute

meena9thmay1997@gmail.com8637421819

Outcome results

None listed

Source: CTRI (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026