App to help children feel comfortable while visiting the dentist

The app traces its roots to Kaneko's experience taking his son Masaki, then 5, to the dentist for a cavity. Children with developmental disorders like autism are often sensitive to stimuli such as noises, and Masaki panicked amidst the many sounds and devices of the dentist's office. He had to have his body wrapped in a special net for safety, and his mouth was then opened using a tool. Masaki sobbed, and had trouble breathing when something that he vomited got caught in his throat.

The app, called Hassurudenta, uses drawings and photos to explain dental procedures like treatment for cavities. The app is already being used on a trial basis at some university hospitals, and is planned to go on sale soon.

Kaneko went searching for a way that Masaki could safely get treatment, and learned of an endeavor at Nihon University's dental hospital to use hand-drawn picture cards to explain treatment procedures to children.

Using this procedure, Masaki was able to overcome his fear and receive dental treatment. Kaneko realized that if he made a software version, he could add sounds and videos, and make it widely available to dentists. He then succeeded in acquiring subsidies from the government as part of a program to help the disabled become self-reliant.
After receiving advice from a specialist doctor, Kaneko, who also heads a nonprofit organization called Oyajirinku for fathers of children with developmental disorders - completed an early version of his app for testing in 2012.

"This app benefits the non-disabled as well," Kaneko commented. "My hope is that it will be widely used."

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/1xJli4l