Effectiveness of Snoezelen Therapy in a Sensory-adapted Dental Environment on Anxiety of 6-12-year-old Children Undergoing Dental Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

AIM AND BACKGROUND: Conventional behavior guidance techniques often fail to address the most common anxiety-provoking factor in children, i.e., the environment of the dental operatory. A sensory-adapted dental environment (SADE) masks the anxiety-provoking factors present in a dental clinic and helps in the relaxation of the child. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of a SADE and regular dental environment (RDE) to alleviate anxiety in children undergoing dental treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The trial was conducted on healthy children aged 6-12 years. A sample size of 60 was calculated using the standard sample size formula. Participants were allocated into two groups: group I, RDE, and group II, SADE. Anxiety was measured pre- and postoperatively using Venham's picture test (VPT) and pulse oximetry. RESULTS: A very highly statistically significant reduction of anxiety levels by VPT was seen postoperatively in the SADE group as compared to RDE (p = 0.0002). A very highly statistically significant reduction of pulse rate scores was seen postoperatively in the SADE group as compared to RDE (p = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: SADE is highly effective in anxiety reduction in children undergoing dental treatment. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study proved that SADE is an effective, innovative behavior guidance technique for children undergoing dental treatment. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Sahai VV, Hugar SM, Gokhale NS, et al. Effectiveness of Snoezelen Therapy in a Sensory-adapted Dental Environment on Anxiety of 6-12-year-old Children Undergoing Dental Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2026;19(8):1047-1053.