Children's Perception of Their Dentists

The aim of this study was to assess school children's feelings and attitudes toward their dentist.

A questionnaire designed to evaluate children's attitudes and preferences toward dentists was completed by 583 children (289 females, 294 males) with age range 9-12 years attending public schools.

76% of the children who completed the questionnaire reported that they had been to the dentist before. Of the children who had visited the dentist, approximately 64% reported liking their visit, 11% didn't like their visit, and 12% were afraid. 90% of the children preferred their dentist to wear a white coat, while 40% preferred them to wear a mask and protective eye glasses as protective measures during treatment. When asked to choose between two pictures of different clinical settings, 63% of the children indicated that they preferred a decorated dental clinic over a plain clinic. Fear of local anesthesia and tooth extraction were the most common reasons cited for not liking dental treatment.

Children have strong perceptions and preferences regarding their dentists. Data collected for this study can be used by dentists to improve delivery of care.