Behaviors of children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during a dental recall visit

Many children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the impact of this on behavior at a dental visit has not been examined. This study compared the behaviors of children with and without ADHD during a dental recall visit. Forty-two children with and forty-two without ADHD (fifty-six boys and twenty-eight girls, ages 6.0 through 10.6 years of age) were selected from a chart review at a hospital dental clinic. Every child was observed in the dental chair before and during the dental visit. Tell-show-do was utilized with every patient. Each child was evaluated for compliance or resistance and was rated using the Frankl behavior rating scale. Behavior ratings of children with and without ADHD were not statistically different. This could indicate that children with and without ADHD behave similarly in the dental setting. Use of Tell-show-do and presence of a pediatric dentist trained in child psychology could have contributed to this similarity.