During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we continued to work remotely with local organisations to deliver projects within our community. As part of their Inter-Professional Engagement (IPE) project, a group of dental students worked alongside Brook Green Centre for Learning to design a children’s workbook. The workbook aimed to provide the children with engaging activities to help reduce anxiety and stress, not only around oral health but in general, given the difficult situation we all found ourselves during the pandemic. During their project the students worked through the workbook online with the children, completing the activities and providing them with a printed copy to take home.
The workbook was so well received by the school and children that the Dental Outreach Team developed the workbook for use on clinic to support children and young people (CYP) with additional needs or for use by those showing signs of anxiety. The workbook contains a variety of activities to help them understand the importance of maintaining positive oral health routines at home, what to expect at a dental appointment, along with tips to keep calm such as yoga and breathing.
Feeling prepared for an appointment along with offering distraction activities within the workbook for the actual visit, it is hoped that the levels of anxiety are reduced. It also helps them understand what to expect and provides them with tools to express how they are feeling to the dental team with the ‘This is me’ postcard they can cut out and bring along with them. The aim is that by giving the children a dental themed workbook when they attend they will feel better able to complete the appointment, reduce their anxiety with self-soothing techniques and become more aware of the importance of maintaining positive oral health routines at home. The workbooks have now been rolled out across all sites for the team to use.
PDSE’s Community Engagement Programme Lead said: “It is hoped that by using the children’s workbook alongside the new Sensory Calm Kits, children will be better equipped to reduce anxiety levels associated with attending dental appointments here with us“.
Rob Witton, Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “PDSE are committed to improving the dental health of those living in the South West and strive to use innovative, creative methods to support the patients dental journey. These resources enable our dental team and students to provide a first class service and supports the provision of person-centred, inclusive care to our patients”.
We received positive feedback from parents of children who used the workbook saying “I think the booklet is a great idea. Both my children enjoyed the activities and my youngest found the breathing exercises helpful when she feels anxious“.
“I feel this showed my child what to expect and the things to look out for which gave them a positive expectation of visiting the dentist rather than worrying about the unknown“.
“My youngest child really enjoyed the colouring activities and it was lovely that the pictures linked to the breathing exercises. My eldest loved ticking off the timetable and writing down her goals for the week. They both agreed that this booklet made their visit to the dentist enjoyable“.
Find out more about the Inter-Professional Engagement module here.
