Saudi dental students' perceptions of pediatric behavior guidance techniques

Dental students receive theoretical and clinical training in pediatric behavioral guidance techniques at university. Therefore, the content of the educational course and the degree of training in behavioral techniques may have an impact on the students' perceptions and practice of such techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Saudi dental students' perceptions of behavior guidance techniques used in pediatric dentistry, and to assess the changes in their perceptions after 1 academic year of a didactic and clinical educational course.

This longitudinal study was carried out once at the beginning and once at the end of the 2013/2014 academic year at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire measuring the perceived acceptability of behavior guidance techniques was completed by 78 fourth-year dental students before and after a pediatric dental course. Acceptability ratings were scored on a 5-point Likert scale and compared and evaluated in relation to demographic data. Paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used for the statistical analyses.

Before the course, the highest scores were for reinforcement and desensitizing techniques and the lowest were for aversive and communicative techniques. After the course, statistically significant increases were found in the acceptability of aversive techniques (voice control and hand-over-mouth), all pharmacological techniques, and modeling. Most communicative techniques and clinical situations were also rated as significantly more acceptable. Statistically significant decreases in acceptability ratings were found in promising a toy, and immobilization by staff or a parent. Immobilization using a papoose board, modeling, the presence of parents during the child's treatment, and most communicative techniques were rated as significantly more acceptable by male students than female students.

In general, Saudi dental students rated most basic behavior guidance techniques as acceptable. An educational course, including didactic and clinical components, improved their acceptability ratings, and had a considerable influence on their perceptions of behavior guidance in pediatric dentistry.