Evaluation of the effects of animation and music on vital parameters, anxiety, and pain in 5–12-year-old children undergoing mandibular anesthesia for the first time

In our study, the effects of animation and music-based distraction techniques on dental anxiety, pain, and physiological responses observed in children during mandibular anesthesia were evaluated. The research was conducted with 52 children aged 5 to 12 who had no prior experience with mandibular anesthesia. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups: animation only, music only, both animation and music, and a control group (n=13). The animation intervention was applied before the procedure, while music was played during the procedure. Following these interventions, local anesthesia was administered, and anxiety, pain, and physiological responses were assessed using multidimensional measurements. Anxiety and pain levels were evaluated both before and after the procedure based on children's self-reports (RMS-PS, Wong-Baker) and clinician observations (CEMS, FLACC). Additionally, heart rate and oxygen saturation were recorded before, during, and after the procedure. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the measured parameters; however, a significant increase in post-procedure RMS-PS scores was observed in the music group. In all groups, post-procedure CEMS and FLACC scores showed significant increases. Furthermore, correlations between self-report and observational assessments increased in the post-procedure period. Significant relationships were also found between the FRANKL behavior rating score and anxiety, pain, and physiological parameters. The findings suggest that age-appropriate distraction techniques may positively influence children's dental experiences.