Assessment of Parental Presence in the Dental Clinic on Their Children Behavior

Objective: 1- Assessment of modified parental presence as a behavior management technique in a certain age group of children in Pediatric Dental Clinics of Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Egypt. 2- Evaluation of the parent's attitude toward this behavior management technique. Materials and Methods: Sixty children, 3-4 years old categorized as uncooperative, coming for their first dental visit and indicated for single visit dental treatment were selected. A small transparent wall next to the dental chair was used and the parent was seated near the child. If the child continued to be non-cooperative, the parent was asked to stand behind the wall. According to the child’s promise, the parent was allowed to return to the operatory and this was repeated until an acceptable behavior was obtained. Children's behavior was evaluated through Frankel behavior rating scale (FBRS). Results: When comparing children behavior before and after parent in /out technique during examination, local anesthesia and during cavity preparation, there was a statistically significant difference (p≤0.001) which means that children behavior improved after application of this technique. Attitude of 65% of parents toward this technique at the end of the dental visit was good, 28.3% of parent's attitude toward this technique was excellent and only 4% of parents don't like this technique. Conclusion: 1- The parental presence / absence technique is effective in improving young children behavior without causing psychological trauma to the child. 2- It is accepted by the parents more than complete separation.