The Effect of Cartoon and Music Applications on Dental Pain (Pain Relief)

Selcuk University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dental Extraction; Dental Anxiety; Pain Management; Distraction

Treatments: Other: Music intervention; Other: Cartoon viewing app; Other: control group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07336719

02-SU.01-2026SA/2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigated the effect of showing cartoons or playing music during the procedure on the physiological parameters of pain and fear experienced by children aged 6-12 undergoing tooth extraction treatment.

Full description

Pediatric patients are frequently exposed to medical procedures that can cause pain and anxiety. While pharmacological interventions may be used, distraction is a simple and effective technique that diverts children's attention away from distressing stimuli. Distraction is a non-pharmacological pain management technique widely used by healthcare professionals during procedures to reduce pain and distress. It is based on the assumption that by shifting the child's attention to something interesting, their ability to pay attention to painful stimuli is inhibited, thereby reducing pain, distress, and anxiety. However, there are no published studies examining the effect of watching cartoons, listening to music, and the tell-show-do approach during tooth extraction on the physiological parameters, pain, and anxiety of children aged 6-12 years.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Be between 6 and 12 years of age,
• Have no systemic, neurological, or chronic diseases,
• Agree to sit in the patient chair (according to the Frankl scale: 2, 3, or 4),
• Have no mental or neurological problems,
• Understand and speak Turkish,
• Have an indication for tooth extraction
• Willingness to participate in the study,
• No visual or auditory impairments

Exclusion criteria

• Being a foreign national,
• Not wanting to participate in the study,
• Not agreeing to sit in the patient chair (1 on the Frankl scale)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 3 patient groups

Experimantal Group: Cartoon Group

Experimental group

Description:

In this group of 20 children, cartoons were shown during the tooth extraction procedure. Before the procedure began, the child's vital signs (heart rate and blood oxygen level), pain level, and fear level were measured. The child watched their chosen cartoon during the procedure. Vital signs and pain level were measured again during the procedure. One minute after the procedure was completed, the child's vital signs, pain level, and fear level were measured again.

Treatment:

Other: Cartoon viewing app

Experimantal Group: Music Group

Experimental group

Description:

In this group of 20 children, music was played during the tooth extraction procedure. Before the procedure began, the child's vital signs (heart rate and blood oxygen level), pain level, and fear level were measured. The music chosen by the child was played during the procedure. Vital signs and pain level were measured again during the procedure, and again 1 minute after the procedure was completed.

Treatment:

Other: Music intervention

Control Group

Other group

Description:

The control group consisted of 20 children who underwent the routine procedure. One minute before the procedure, the child's vital signs (heart rate and blood oxygen level), pain level, and fear level were measured. Vital signs and pain level were measured again during the procedure. One minute after the procedure was completed, the child's vital signs, pain level, and fear level were measured again.

Treatment:

Other: control group