centres on three phases:
- Tell: explanation of procedures at the right age/educational level.
- Show: demonstrate the procedure.
- Do: following on to undertake the task. Praise being an essential part of the
exercise (Fig. 2.13).
While it is a popular technique there is little experimental work to support its use.
Another technique to reduce anxiety among very worried children is to send a letter
home explaining all the details of the proposed first visit so that uncertainty will be
reduced. The evidence for this approach is not clear-cut as parental anxiety is changed
by preinformation rather than the child's.
Acclimatization programmes gradually introducing the child to dental care over a
number of visits have been shown to be of value. This approach is rather time
consuming and does little for the really nervous child.
Fig. 2.13 Praise costs little, but does show you to be a caring person. (With
thanks to David Myers and kind permission of Eden Bianchi Press.)2.6.2 Modelling
This makes use of the fact that individuals learn much about their environment from
observing the consequences of other people's behaviour. You or I might repeat an
action if we see others being rewarded, or if someone is punished we might well
decide not to follow that behaviour. Modelling could be used to alleviate anxiety. If a
child could be shown that it is possible to visit the dentist, have treatment, and then
leave in a happy frame of mind (Fig. 2.14), this could reduce anxiety due to 'fear of
the unknown'. A child would see behind that forbidding surgery door!