Comparing Digital and Traditional Dental Impressions to Reduce Discomfort and Anxiety in Children Ages 4 to 6

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the discomfort, dental anxiety, gag reflex, behavior, and time required for two different dental impression techniques in preschool children aged 4 to 6 years. This randomized controlled clinical trial compares conventional alginate impressions with digital impressions taken by an intraoral scanner, aiming to find a less distressing method for young dental patients. The study involves 666 children without previous dental experience and with specific behavior scores before treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will have digital impressions using an intraoral scanner, which includes scanning the lower jaw, upper jaw, and bite. The other group will receive conventional alginate impressions using steel trays following standard procedures. Each childs response to the technique is carefully recorded and assessed. During the study, researchers will evaluate the childs discomfort using a visual scale with emojis, dental anxiety through the Facial Image Scale, the severity of gag reflex after the procedure, and child cooperation using a behavior rating scale. The time taken to complete each impression procedure is also measured. This detailed monitoring helps to compare how each impression method affects young childrens experience during dental visits.

Digital Versus Conventional Impression on Discomfort and Dental Anxiety Among Preschoolers