Parental Perception of Behavioral Techniques in Pediatric Dentistry at the Dr. René Puig Benz Dental Clinic at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University.

Behavior management is considered of the utmost importance in pediatric dentistry
because it enables us to provide quality dental care to child patients. Due to their young
age and level of cognitive and emotional development, these patients often present
challenges in terms of cooperation and behavior during dental procedures. To address
these situations, students and pediatric dentists use various behavior management
techniques to facilitate treatment and minimize anxiety and fear in children.
The Tell-Show-Do (TSD) technique was the most accepted with 91.3% approval,
followed by voice control with 66.3% approval. Active restraint (42.5%) and passive
restraint (25%) had the lowest levels of acceptance. Significant differences were
observed according to the gender, age, and educational level of the parents. There was
also greater acceptance of restrictive techniques in dental emergency situations.
It can be concluded that most parents prefer communicative and non-invasive
techniques and only accept restrictive techniques when they are clinically necessary.
These findings underscore the importance of open communication between pediatric
dentists and parents, and the need to educate guardians about the various behavioral
management strategies employed in pediatric dental care.
Parental acceptance increased in emergency situations, where TSD, active restraint,
and voice control all achieved 100% acceptance. However, statistical analysis revealed
significant differences only in active restraint (p = 0.016), indicating that parents are
more tolerant of restrictive techniques in emergency situations.
H1: The level of perception of the father, mother, or legal guardian regarding the
behavior control tactics used varies depending on their sociodemographic
characteristics and the type of dental treatment the child needs at the Dr. René Puig
Benz dental clinic.
H0: There are no differences in the perception of behavior control tactics among fathers,
mothers, and legal guardians according to their sociodemographic characteristics and
the type of dental treatment their child needs at the Dr. René Puig Benz dental clinic.