Intervention Dental Visits
Children participated in 2 routine dental cleanings approximately 6 months apart. Both cleanings were performed in a standard manner (oral examination, prophylaxis, fluoride) by second-year residents of a 2-year advanced pediatric dentistry program (provides didactic and clinical training required for the specialty) in the same private dental clinic room. Approximately 1 to 2 weeks before each dental visit, a tailored (eg, child sex, language, dental visit condition) social story was provided to participants; parents read it to their child several times to familiarize them with the upcoming dental visit (a copy may be requested from L.I.S.D).The RDE (control) condition included no modifications. The SADE (experimental) condition included sensory-based modifications based on principles of Ayres sensory integration theoryDental cleanings began in July 2016 and ended in April 2022; due to COVID-19 precautions, data collection was suspended March 2020 to January 2021. No changes in dental care protocols occurred during the study period. We examined visits before vs after COVID-19 as a potentially moderating variable.