Child’s friendly dental attire, a game changer for anxiety and pain management in dental environment, a randomized clinical trial

Dental anxiety usually stands in the way of obtaining adequate dental treatment, and the dental setting and team are considered factors that may affect dental anxiety. Many cross-sectional studies have indicated that dentally anxious children prefer their dentist to wear friendly attire rather than a conventional white coat, but no clinical trial has detected the effect of wearing a child's friendly attire on anxiety levels among young patients. A total of 120 children were enrolled in this study and divided into four groups in which the dentists wore either friendly attire or white coat in the reception and treatment areas. Anxiety and pain were assessed while the patients received a dental injection. A statistically significant decrease in anxiety levels was observed in the 1st group compared with the other three groups after dental infiltration into the maxilla. The pain scores were significantly lower in the 1st group, whereas the control group patients scored the highest scores. A child's friendly attire can help dentists build positive relationships with young patients and help reduce their anxiety.