Management of dental anxiety via distraction technique.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a stress ball as a distraction technique on stress levels of patients undergoing a dental procedure.

Material And Methods: A randomized, split-mouth design was conducted using 20 adult subjects requiring scaling and root planing (Sc/RP) in all four quadrants. Each side of the mouth (maxillary/mandibular) received Sc/RP with local anesthetic with or without the use of a stress-ball distraction over two separate sessions.