Auriculotherapy in the treatment of childhood anxiety regarding dental treatment - Evaluation using the Ryodoraku method

• Grant number: 23/14518-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Borsatto
• Grantee: Gabriela Silva Gonçalves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anxiety is a feeling that manifests itself as fear of a possible threat to well-being, and nowadays it is very common to witness dental anxiety, especially in children. This work aims to evaluate two different auriculotherapy methods (seed and laser therapy) to the treatment of childhood dental anxiety, which will be evaluated by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children (STAI-C) and to comprove it with Ryodoraku. It's an electrodiagnostic device which, by measuring specific points on the body, can identify the individual bioenergetic level, thus allowing the meridian energy related to anxiety. Therefore, children who get anxious when answering the questionnaire (STAI - C) will undergo an evaluation with Ryodoraku and the type of treatment will be randomly selected for each patient, dividing them into 3 groups, being: Group I - auriculotherapy, Group II - laser therapy on ear points, and Group III - Laser therapy protocol with the active laser tip covered.The laser therapy protocol will be carried out with a low-power laser and auriculotherapy will be carried out with mustard seeds, on previously selected points related to anxiety. After 5 sessions, the children will be re-evaluated with Ryodoraku and answering the questionnaire (STAI - C) to check whether or not there has been an improvement in the anxiety levels recorded in the first appointment, allowing a comparison between the effectiveness of auriculotherapy and laser therapy. The data will be subjected to the most appropriate statistical analysis.