Comics in Pediatric Dentistry: A Narrative Review

Comics are an illustrative mode of communication whose objectives are achieved through attractive pictorial art forms. In healthcare, comics have been used to evoke emotional responses within the reader (the patient) by illustrating those scenarios which he or she can relate to. A dental setting can often be stressful for the pediatric patient, making the application of behavior guidance of their maladaptive behaviors an absolute necessity. Comics represent a small portion of non-pharmacological behavior guidance techniques in pediatric dentistry. However, the extent of their use in dental education and promotion of oral hygiene is seldom talked about. A thorough literature search was performed across search engines and databases in order to understand the relationship between dental anxiety, comics and pediatric dentistry. All the included studies were considered for a full-text screening before laying out a narrative of the chosen topic. This narrative review highlights the need for long-term studies in order to establish comics as a reliable behavior guidance technique in pediatric dentistry.