Guiding and managing the child dental patient: a fresh look at old pedagogy

Society's approach to children during the past half-century has changed dramatically, and a transformation of medical and hospital pediatric care has followed. Dentistry has been slower to incorporate sound, child-friendly approaches to care. Nonetheless, much has changed in dental practice pertaining to children. The regular involvement of parents in the surgical/therapeutic suite is one such change. Expanded communication to ensure informed consent for treatment as well as consent for type of management approach to children is the standard of care. Since sedation policies are becoming more complex, enhancing the skills of all dentists and staff members in the best methods of nonpharmacological child management will be essential in the next decades. Biobehavioral methods will gain prominence, along with better communication skills of the dental team. These changes will occur only if more time and resources are positioned to teach dental students, dentists, and staff the necessary skills. Emphasis must be placed on early, timely intervention; parental involvement; effective communication; cultural competence; and the "medical/dental home" concept as methods to reduce negative dental attitudes and behaviors of children.