Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. May 16, 2026; 14(14): 120509
Published online May 16, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i14.120509
Published online May 16, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i14.120509
Letter to the Editor: Semiotics of scrubs, children’s perceptions of dentist attire and implications for pediatric procedural anxiety
Gauri R Gangakhedkar, Anjana S Wajekar, Ashwini D Rane, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Navi Mumbai 410210, Maharashtra, India
Author contributions: Gangakhedkar GR made outline of manuscript; Wajekar AS, Rane AD contributed to writing of manuscript, have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Anjana S Wajekar, Professor, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Sector 22, Utsav Chowk-CISF Road, Owe Camp, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410210, Maharashtra, India.
Received: February 28, 2026
Revised: March 9, 2026
Accepted: April 9, 2026
Published online: May 16, 2026
Processing time: 58 Days and 11.6 Hours
Revised: March 9, 2026
Accepted: April 9, 2026
Published online: May 16, 2026
Processing time: 58 Days and 11.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Scrubs must be considered as tools of non-verbal communication, by proceduralists, particularly when aligned with age-appropriate communication, and a patient-centred approach can help allay pediatric anxiety, build trust, and improve cooperation and procedural outcomes.