Jorge Villamizar

doi:10.19080/ADOH.2023.16.555942

Short Communication

Use Of Magic as An Alternative in Behavioral Management in Pediatric Dentistry

Jorge Villamizar*

Pediatric Dentist, Universidad Tecnología de México, Orthodontist, private practice, Cúcuta Colombia

Submission: August 26, 2023; Published: September 11, 2023

*Corresponding author: Jorge Villamizar, Pediatric Dentist, Universidad Tecnología de México, Orthodontist, private practice, Cúcuta Colombia

How to cite this article: Jorge V. Use Of Magic as An Alternative in Behavioral Management in Pediatric Dentistry. Adv Dent & Oral Health. 2023; 16(4): 555942. DOI: 10.19080/ADOH.2023.16.555942

Keywords: Magical Thinking; clinical implementation; Exodontia; Pulp treatment.

Abbreviations: BM: Behavioral Management; AAPD: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; TSD: Tell-Show-Do; MSD: Magic Suggestion Distraction.

Short Communication

The objective of this publication is to evaluate the use of “Magic” as an alternative in Behavioral Management (BM) and strategy to interact with the patient in pediatric dentistry. To enter in context about the application of magic as an alternative in behavioral management, the concept of magic should be conceived as a performing art with a structure that requires preparation for its development and its correlation with dentistry in clinical implementation. Within the performing art environments there is a singular theatricality called magic or illusionism, considered as an art of entertainment. “Magic” should be understood as a discipline that encompasses many aspects; not only the skill used to create illusions, special effects, and tricks. For this performance to conclude with an astonishing outcome, a preparation structured in three concepts is required: The Artistic using corporal expression, looks, words, etc.; The Perception using the senses and the mind (psychology of perception, attention and memory) ;and The Dramatic through the presentation, knot, conflict and denouement that must conclude with a stunning effect; interfering the logical operations of the spectator; discipline known as “ misdirection “; creating a Magical atmosphere, making of magic an art linking [1].

The care of the child requires planning with criteria and individuality according to the characteristics of the patient; the choice of an adequate technique for the BM, and acceptance of the child to the dental procedure is one of the challenges that pediatric dentists must face daily in their clinical practice. According to the manual of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), professionals should promote quality, effectivity and safe care, encouraging a positive attitude towards dental treatment and care [2]. Due to socio-cultural changes, the non-acceptance of parents to the use of aversive techniques, ethical-legal constraints and less self-control in the child’s behavior, have encouraged the study of new alternatives in BM. in order to improve the interaction with the patient (Figure 1).

The use of magic dates to ancient Egypt; a tradition that symbolized the existence of supernatural powers; related to sorcery, alchemy, astrology, and soothsayers. The concept of magic has evolved and is applied today in the fields of therapy, entertainment, and education. In dentistry the use of Magic has made inroads as a playful method, evaluating its effectiveness for the adaptation of children on the first visit. Torrijos, Mansilla et al. evaluated the effect of the technique of Magic Therapy in the behavioral management of children between 6,nd 5 years of age who attend the dental office, concluding that the Magic Therapy session promotes a more positive behavior towards dental care compared to the Tell-Show-Do (TSD) technique Peretz et al. [3]; conducted a similar study, where they described the use of magic tricks in children between the ages of 3 and 6 , comparing their effectiveness in persuading children who refuse to sit in the dental chair on the first visit, with conventional methods suche as THD, swing that a magic trick can speed up the child’s movement to the chair, demonstrating more cooperative behavior [4].

In recent studies, J. Villamizar and Cárdenas evaluated the response to dental treatment of three patients between 3 and 6 years of age by implementing the Magic Suggestion Distraction (MSD) technique; they observed favorable changes in attention, cooperation, and decreased anxiety. The findings showed that the application of Suggestive Distraction through Magic, in the execution of dental treatment, was able to create a positive behavioral response in the three patients evaluated [5] (Figure 2). The concept of Magic Suggestion Distraction, implements distraction as a communication technique and suggestion as a behavior modification technique, applying fantasy play and imagination through “Magic” as an opening mechanism to accept and respond to new ideas [5], stimulating Magical Thinking [6], capturing attention, and managing to create an illusion that the child accepts with conviction. The technique consists of obtaining the child’s attention from the moment he/she gets into the dental chair, using suggestive distraction through magic; by applying MSD a positive attitude and cooperation was achieved in the patients during the stage of assessment and invasive dental treatment involving infiltrative local anesthesia (exodontia and pulp treatment) (Figure 3).

The knowledge of the principles of Magic, using the “ misdirection “ connecting fiction, the real and the inexplicable; together with the methods of BM. that implement distraction and suggestion stimulating “Magical Thinking”; manifesting the existing link between the performance of the magician and the dental treatment performed by the Dentist. The two disciplines feed back and potentiate each other creating a magical atmosphere, establishing a new dynamic concept for the care of pediatric patients (Figure 4). The orientation of the child’s behavior demands creative and novel methods, by implementing “Magic” as a distraction mechanism, stimulating imagination and fantasy through the creation of an illusion that the patient accepts with conviction; it is considered a useful practice to improve the patient’s experience by expanding the dentist’s resources as an alternative in behavioral Management.