Paediatric Dental Pain Management: Children's and Parents' Perspectives in Kosovo

Introduction: The ethics of dental care in children are complex and involve the dentist's approach, the child's perception, and the parents' attitudes. Aim: This study aims to analyse children's experiences, parents' perceptions, and the dentist's approach to dental pain in relation to ethical principles, communication, and informed consent. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 116 paediatric patients, using a semi-structured questionnaire. We assessed demographic data, children's overall experiences and pain during dental visits, parent-dentist communication, and parents' ethical approaches to pain management in paediatric patients. Results: The majority of children were informed by their parents about the dental visit (97.4%) and the reason for the visit (94.8%). Communication between the dentist and child during the procedure was the main factor that helped reduce fear (61.2%). Most children reported no pain (45.8%) or only minimal pain (51.8%), with needle puncture being the most commonly reported source of dental pain. Overall, parents demonstrated positive ethical attitudes towards paediatric dental care, high satisfaction with dental services (96.6%), and strong support for the development of legal and written guidelines for pain management in children. Discussion: The ethical framework for children's pain management in our dental services is well established, resulting in a high level of satisfaction with the care provided and strong trust in dental professionals. Conclusions: This study provides a basis for the promotion of ethical standards for dental procedures in pain management in paediatric patients, and other measures to reduce anxiety and fear should be part of future strategies.