An evaluation of four methods of assessing the behaviour of anxious child dental patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate four behavioural scales which have been used to assess anxious children during dental treatment: The Frankl (F), Houpt (H), Visual Analogue (VAS) and Global Rating (GR) scales. The study measured the agreement on three of the scales (F, H and VAS) between two judges expert in the management of anxious children and also between four other dentists. The operating dentists scored each visit using the fourth scale (GR). Twenty-nine anxious children aged 3-16 years who had been referred to a specialist clinic were included in the study, and 64 separate visits were recorded on videotape. The two-judge panel evaluated the children's behaviour on all 64 visits, and the four-judge panel evaluated a 12-visit segment. Comparisons within and between the two-judge and four-judge panels showed close agreement on the Visual Analogue and Houpt scales but not on the Frankl scale. There was significant correlation between the Global Rating scale and the Visual Analogue, Houpt and Frankl scales.