Children who experience anxiety associated with novel situations react physically and emotionally in ways that make it challenging for the child, parents, educators, and providers to proceed with the intended goal of that novel situation. Anxiety in children can be reduced by introducing fun or distracting stimuli that act on specific neural pathways. The stimuli introduced can familiarize a child with the environment in which the procedure will take place and the equipment and people which the child will meet. In the healthcare setting, by using consistent stimuli, and by disrupting anxiety at one or more of a series of stages in which anxiety typically occurs, a reduction in needed anesthesia can be achieved, which is healthier for the child and reduces the costs associated with the medical or dental procedure.
