Parental behavior influence in pediatric dentistry: a randomized observational study

This work examines the influence of parental attitudes on their child's behavior in pediatric dentistry.

This prospective randomized observational study was conducted at the pediatric dentistry consultation. All sessions were filmed. Two experts collected data using the modified Venham scale for children and a hetero-rating scale for parents. 20 observers scored with the same tools a randomized selection of recordings of 5 children per group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

60 children divided into 3 groups of 20: 4 years and under, 5 to 6 years and over 7 years. Internal validation showed a very high correlation (Cronbach's a> 0.920). There is a correlation between parental behavior and that of children in the dental office in the 3 age groups for observers (Cronbach's a> 0.700).