Recent advances in non-pharmacological behavior management during dental treatment in pediatric patients - A review article

Aug 20, 2026

Behaviour management is a crucial aspect of paediatric dentistry, supporting effective communication, cooperation, and a positive dental experience for children. Recent advances in non-pharmacological techniques improve compliance and reduce reliance on sedation or general anaesthesia. Core methods such as tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and distraction are extended by innovations including virtual reality, augmented reality, biofeedback, and AI-driven behaviour prediction models. Integrating these approaches with traditional strategies enhances comfort and supports better oral health outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Dental fear, anxiety, and phobia

Role of non-pharmacological behaviour approaches

Recent Advances in Non-Pharmacological Behaviour Management Techniques

Audio analgesia

White noise

Content available at: [https://www.ipinnovative.com/open-access-journals](https://www.ipinnovative.com/open-access-journals) Journal of Pierre Fauchard Academy Journal homepage: [https://www.jpfa.in/](https://www.jpfa.in/) | Review Article
Recent advances in non-pharmacological behavior management during dental treatment in pediatric patients-A review article
BabyAbia1*, Sonal Gupta1, Rajeev Kumar Singh1, Afsia Saly1
1Dept. of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Kanti Devi Dental College and Hospital, Rupaspur, Uttar Pradesh, India | | --- | | Abstract
Behaviour management is a crucial aspect of paediatric dentistry, ensuring effective communication, cooperation, and a positive dental experience for children. Recent advancements in non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques have significantly improved patient compliance while reducing the need for sedation or general anaesthesia.
Techniques such as tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and distraction remain fundamental, but newer innovations, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), biofeedback, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven behaviour prediction models, have enhanced patient engagement. As, paediatric dentistry continues to evolve, integrating these non-pharmacological techniques with traditional behaviour management methods enhances patient comfort and ensures better oral health outcomes.
Keywords: Behaviour management, Anxiety, Fear
Received: 14-05-2025; Accepted: 09-06-2025; Available Online: 20-06-2025 | | This is an Open Access (OA) journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
For reprints contact: [reprint@ipinnovative.com](reprint@ipinnovative.com) | 1. Introduction Oral health care for young children can greatly impact their lives as well as their family’s well-being however, dental fear and anxiety can be a serious obstacle preventing kids from getting dental care.1 Current research indicates that dental anxiety and fear are psychological obstacles that have a detrimental impact on the patient’s attendance frequency, leading to avoidant behaviour and a lower quality of life associated with oral health.2 Dental anxiety, dental fear and dental phobia have been used interchangeably in the literature. These three disorders are often referred to as “dental fear”. However, there is a clear distinction between the terms by certain factors, among which dental anxiety is the mildest form.3 The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMV-5) defines dental anxiety as a form of specific phobia. Dental anxiety is a conditioned response characterized by the anticipation of encountering a dentalrelated threat in the future4. In contrast, dental fear is a primitive emotion that elicits a fight or flight response, activated by an imminent and specific threat in a dental setting (e.g., dental drill, needle) .4-5 The most extreme form is dental phobia, which is defined as complete avoidance of dental care.5 Dental anxiety is a complex condition that negatively affects dental patients and oral care providers. The Global prevalence of early childhood dental fear and anxiety among 2-6 years children was found to be 30% . Children without dental visit experience and children with caries experience had higher odds of experiencing dental fear and anxiety compared to those with dental visit experience orcaries-free status.6 Therefore, the first line of choice while treating the paediatric patient is always by using a non-pharmacological behaviour approach. It is the means through which the dental health team effectively and efficiently performs treatment fora child. The aim is to instil a positive dental attitude

FAQs

Why is behaviour management important in paediatric dentistry?

Behaviour management enables effective communication, improves cooperation, and helps children develop a positive dental experience. It also reduces barriers created by dental fear and anxiety, supporting better attendance and care.

What are the key non-pharmacological techniques highlighted in the review?

The review emphasizes foundational methods such as tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and distraction, along with strategies like modelling, systematic desensitisation, memory restructuring, empathy, coping strategies, and preparatory information.

How do newer technologies contribute to non-pharmacological behaviour management?

Newer approaches such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), biofeedback, and AI-driven behaviour prediction models increase engagement and support more tailored behaviour management during dental treatment.

Aug 20, 2026

Upload by Nguyễn Văn Học