The Comparison of Anxiety Tactile Using the RMS Tactile Scan in Visually Impaired Children After Performing Oral Prophylaxis by Explaining to Them the Procedure by Verbal Tactile Method

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety assessment for blind children is important. Appropriate knowledge of the patient's anxiety will help to review management options specific to every child. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anxiety level using the Raghavendra, Madhuri, Sujata (RMS) tactile scale (RMS-TS) of visually impaired children after explaining the oral prophylaxis procedure verbally and by the verbal-tactile method followed by performing the oral prophylaxis procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 children aged between 6 and 13 years were included in this study from a residential school for visually impaired children. These children were divided into two equal groups. One group was explained oral prophylaxis by verbal method and another was explained in a verbal-tactile method, preintervention and postintervention anxiety of the children was checked on the RMS-TS. RESULTS: A comparison of mean values between the two groups was done using a t-test. Comparison of mean values in each group for before and after values were done using paired t-test and was found that anxiety had reduced in the verbal-tactile group more significantly than that of the verbal group. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the combination of verbal and tactile models for explaining the dental procedure is an effective way to reduce anxiety in blind children. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Kumbar S, Rathod SA, Patil AT, et al. The Comparison of Anxiety Tactile Using the RMS Tactile Scan in Visually Impaired Children After Performing Oral Prophylaxis by Explaining to Them the Procedure by Verbal Tactile Method. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(4):551–554.