Childhood dental fears script

For more information regarding this feature, contact Judith Bailey by sending e-mail to jcb4@po.cwru.edu or by calling 1-800-368-CWRU.

CHILDHOOD DENTAL FEARS (running time = 1:25)

SUGGESTED INTRO: PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOW WELL CHILDREN PLAY AND HOW THEY COPE WITH A VARIETY OF NEW SITUATIONS, INCLUDING GOING TO THE DENTIST. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO: Child (Ariel Siegel) with mother (Carol Siegel) and Ariel's dentist (Fred Gehrke, D.D.S., CWRU) talking in clinic waiting area.

VOICEOVER: HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS AFRAID TO GO TO THE DENTIST FOR THE FIRST TIME? A CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS ONE WAY TO TELL IS BY OBSERVING YOUR CHILD AT PLAY. A STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT CHILDREN WHO DO WELL AT PLAY TEND TO BE BETTER AT EXPRESSING EMOTIONS AND WORKING ON PROBLEMS. PSYCHOLOGIST SANDRA RUSS EXPLAINS.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER:

SANDRA RUSS, CWRU PSYCHOLOGIST

(OUTCUE: "... have a larger repertoire of coping strategies to use.") (:26)

VIDEO: Ariel plays in the toy room as part of the psychological testing.

VOICEOVER: IN THE CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY STUDY, CHILDREN PLAYED WITH SIMPLE TOYS AND WERE TOLD TO LET THEIR IMAGINATIONS RUN FREE. THE KIDS WERE THEN BROUGHT TO A DENTAL EXAMINATION.

VIDEO: Various shots of Dr. Gehrke (pronounced: GER-key) talking to Ariel in the dental examination clinic, and examining her teeth.

VOICEOVER: THE MORE CREATIVE PLAYERS, IT TURNED OUT, WERE BETTER AT COPING WITH THE NEW SITUATION. RUSS SAYS CREATIVITY IN A CHILD'S PLAY IS GOOD, AND SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. SHE SAYS CREATIVE PLAYERS ARE USUALLY CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVERS; AND THAT ABILITY, SHE SAYS, HELPS KIDS COPE WITH A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS, INCLUDING VISITING THE DENTIST.

THIS IS DAVE NAROSNY REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-