Assessment of Tell-Read-Do Technique in Comparison with Ask-Tell-Ask Technique and Conventional Tell-Show-Do Technique in Management of Anxious Pediatric Dental Patients Aged 7-10 Years: An Interventional Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety among children is a significant and ongoing concern in pediatric dentistry. Tell-show-do is the most accepted behavior guidance technique and is considered the cornerstone of pediatric dentistry, but due to changing situations of the current era and evolving cognitive abilities of children, several modifications of the tell-show-do approach have been developed. A new technique-tell-read-do-has been developed based on the cognitive development of the child.

AIM: To assess the efficiency of the "tell-read-do" technique compared with the conventional "tell-show-do" technique and "ask-tell-ask" technique in managing anxious kids aged 7-10-years during restorative dental treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 90 children aged 7-10 years were randomly divided into three groups: tell-show-do, ask-tell-ask, and tell-read-do. Assessment was done using three parameters: heart rate, facial image scale, and Venham's anxiety scale.

RESULTS: Tell-show-do and tell-read-do groups showed a significant reduction in all three parameters from pretreatment to post-treatment.

CONCLUSION: This study concludes that the tell-read-do technique can be effectively used to reduce anxiety in children prior to dental treatment. Although the tell-show-do is the most recognized method, contemporary shifts in children's learning preferences may enhance the significance of the tell-read-do technique.