Article
Behaviour management in children during COVID-19
I wish to highlight how the current COVID-19 pandemic has affected the effective behaviour management of children. Children with anxiety issues related to dentistry are usually referred to community dental services where dentists are able to spend extra time and effort acclimatizing them to dental treatment. However, owing to current changes in surgery fallow time and the fear of children being asymptomatic carriers, this has made current efforts all the more difficult.
Children tend to pick up on non-verbal communication and body language that provides reassurance and the impression of a child-friendly environment.1 However, this is very difficult to accomplish due to enhanced PPE protocols, which may seem very strange and alien-like to children.2 Voice control, which relies on the change in one's intonation to influence a child's behaviour, is also much more difficult to implement because this is easily muffled with the use of a visor and FFP3 mask.1
The lack of social interaction due to the recent lockdowns that have restricted school attendance, meeting up with peers outside their household, as well as the encouragement to be socially distant, can have a negative impact on a child's psychological and mental wellbeing.3 This can lead to a general feeling of mistrust and wariness when meeting strangers, thus making it much more difficult for the dentist to obtain a child's trust in complying with dental treatment.
It is important that dentists adopt a calm and proactive approach and involve the child during their interactions. Empathy and support should be provided to establish some form of trust during a child's visit to the dental surgery.3 Where possible, it may be beneficial to don one's PPE while the child is watching and provide a simple explanation, as this will work as a form of systematic desensitization.2