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Published on: January 23, 2017

Behavioral evaluation during dental care in children ages 0 to 3 years

Robson Frederico Cunha1, Alberto Carlos Delbem, Célio Percinoto

  • 1State University School of Dentistry, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. cunha@foa.unesp.br

Journal of Dentistry for Children (Chicago, Ill.)
|October 8, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Infants aged 0-6 months are generally cooperative during dental visits. Between 7-30 months, babies tend to be non-cooperative, while those aged 31-36 months show varied behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Child Behavior Analysis

Background:

  • Child immaturity and communication challenges complicate dental care for infants.
  • Understanding infant behavior is crucial for effective pediatric dental treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate infant behavior during dental appointments.
  • To determine age-related patterns in infant cooperation during dental care.

Main Methods:

  • Records of 696 infants (0-36 months) were analyzed.
  • Infant behavior was classified as collaborator (C) or non-collaborator (NC) over the first four dental appointments.
  • Statistical analysis used Pearson's chi-square test.

Main Results:

  • Infants aged 0-6 months (Group I) had a 30% non-collaborator rate.
  • Infants aged 7-30 months (Groups II-V) exhibited significantly higher non-collaborator rates (66%).
  • Infants aged 31-36 months (Group VI) showed no significant difference in collaborator/non-collaborator percentages (50%).

Conclusions:

  • Infants 0-6 months demonstrate collaborative behavior in dental settings.
  • A non-collaborative behavior pattern is prevalent in infants aged 7-30 months.
  • Infants aged 31-36 months display a mixed behavioral response, with no statistically significant preference for collaboration or non-collaboration.
Abstract

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