BACKGROUNDPediatric dental fear, if left unchecked, can persist for a lifetime and adversely impact the physical and psychological health of a patient. In this study, a feasible nonmedical method for relieving pediatric dental fear was investigated.

METHODSA randomized, single-blind, controlled trial model was applied. The juvenile patients experiencing dental fear, whose parents or guardian had signed an informed consent form, were randomly divided into two groups. Group A (n = 50) was the control group, while Group B (n = 50) was the reward group. Participants in Group A accepted routine treatment. Participants in Group B were told that they would obtain a gift as a rewarda for their good behavior if they were compliant during their dental treatments. The Chinese version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) was used to evaluate the level of dental fear of each patient both before and after each treatment. A contrast analysis and a correlation analysis of the results were used to assess the efficacy of the reward mechanism.

RESULTSAll participants in Group B, were obedient during the dental treatment, and they also successfully chose the present they wanted at the end of their dental treatment. Children at different ages showed different reward preferences. Significant difference in the fear scores of the participants in Group B before the treatment and after receiving the reward was found (independent samples t-test, t = 14.72, P < 0.001). In Group A, 86% children's fear score did not undergo a noticeable change.

CONCLUSIONSA reward system is proved feasible to relieve pediatric dental fear, and the form of reward should meet the demand of patients.