Alternative therapies for behavioral management in children during dental consultation: literature review

Abstract

Background: In the dental practice, the management of children's behavior is key to reduce anxiety and improve cooperation. Techniques and methods are used, which help to redirect the child's attention towards positive stimuli. Objective. To describe alternative therapies for behavioral management in children during the dental consultation. Materials and methods. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO and Scopus databases, covering the last five years. MeSH and DeCS terms related to behavioral management during dental visits were applied. Studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese were included, and those that did not directly address this topic were excluded. The articles were selected after reviewing titles and abstracts according to the established criteria. Conclusion.  Conclusion.  Alternative therapies, such as aromatherapy, musictherapy, animal-assisted therapy, virtual reality, hypnosis, mindfulness, Lamaze method, have proven effective in reducing anxiety and managing children's behavior during dental consultations. Although there is no universally superior method, the combination of personalized techniques has shown to be more effective. The creativity of the dentist or pediatric dentist is essential for adapting these strategies to the individual needs of each child.