The effects of using infection-control barrier techniques on young children's behavior during dental treatment.

This report provides a review of infection-control techniques used by health-care practitioners. It is then stated that there is an increased awareness regarding the role of nonverbal influences on the communication process, especially among child patients, for whom fear and anxiety are common traits. This study evaluated whether the use of masks in the dental operatory affected anxiety behavior, based on changes in heart rate, self-reports, and uncooperative responses. The findings here suggest that wearing a mask during dental treatment represents a minimal stressor for the young child with previous dental experience.