The study population consists of 50 children of age 6-9 years who require LA administration. They were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The level of pain in each child was assessed by the Wong Baker FACES pain rating scale. It is a 0-10 scale, showing 6 cartoon faces that range from neutral to crying expressions. The level of anxiety was assessed by the Venham Picture Test. It consists of 8 cards with pictures of children in various dental situations. There are two figures on each card, one in which a child appears happy and other one in which he looks distressed. Each child was asked to point out a figure which corresponds to his/her feeling. A kaleidoscope is a cylindrical toy with mirrors containing a number of loose, coloured objects like beads. The images inside a kaleidoscope are based on the principle of multiple reflections of coloured objects on typically 3 mirrors set at an angle of 60˚ to each other. A score was recorded for each card when a "high end" picture was selected and summed to give a total out of eight. Higher scores indicate greater fear and anxiety. The statistical analysis (test of significance) was performed using a t-test. The result showed a significant reduction in anxiety in the experimental group. Moreover, there was a reduction in pain perception in the experimental group.
Keywords: Kaleidoscope, distraction, local anaesthesia, anxiety, pain, pediatric
