Pro-Activeness of Parents in Accepting Behavior Management Techniques: A Cross-Sectional Evaluative Study

The contemporary parents are more active and participate in the decision making during dental treatment.

To assess the parents' acceptance towards behavior management techniques commonly used in the pediatric dentistry in different dental situation.

Fifty-one parents participated in the study. Children's dental fear was assessed by the parents before attending power point presentation using Dental Subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS). Parents viewed power point presentation of eight behavior management techniques being used during pediatric dental treatment. The techniques were: 1) Voice control; 2) Tell-Show-Do; 3) Positive reinforcement; 4) Parental presence or absence; 5) HOME; 6) Physical restraint; 7) N2O-O2 sedation; 8) General anesthesia. Parents were asked to arrange various behavior management techniques from most accepted technique to least accepted technique in various dental situations according to their view.

All the parents completed the questionnaire. Most children show increased anxiety related to dental component of CFSS-DS scale particularly during the administration of local anesthetic. In present study most preferred behavior management technique was Tell-Show-Do followed by positive reinforcement and least preferred behavior management technique was general anesthesia followed by physical restraint.

Children's anxiety level increases during the condition related to dentistry which can be overcome by developing positive approach in children and parents towards dentistry and by utilizing various behaviour management strategies. A generalized low parental tolerance level for firm management techniques was seen in the present study population.