Behavior of pediatric dental patients throughout the course of restorative dental treatment in a private pediatric dental practice

The purpose of this study was to describe and quantify patient behavior patterns observed throughout restorative dentistry appointments in a private pediatric dental practice. Patient behavior throughout the course of the first restorative dental visit was recorded using the Sarnat Behavior Scale. Behavior of patients in age groups 0 to 5 (0 to 60 months), 5 to 8 (61 to 96 months) and 8 to 12 (97 to 144 months) was noted at the start of the visit, during the procedure and when the patient was dismissed. Socio-demographic variables such as sex and method of payment as an indicator of socio-economic status were also considered. In addition, it was also noted whether, the child was referred by a general dentist. The results showed that the percentage of patients having Sarnat scores of 3, 4 or 5 (S345), which is indicative of negative behavior, increased after the start of the visit and then decreased to a lower level when the patient was dismissed. This observation was the same for all age groups, although the percentage of patients exhibiting negative behavior during all phases of the restorative appointment decreased with increasing age. In conclusion, pediatric dental patient behavior changes throughout the course of restorative dental treatment. There is an increase in negative behavior, while the teeth are being restored, which then decreases to levels below those observed at the start of the visit. This is related to age more than socio-economic or other factors confirming that as the child ages, the incidence of negative behavior decreases, but the pattern of change during the course of the restorative visit is the same regardless of age.

Comparison of the behavior of children undergoing restorative dental treatment at the first visit versus the second visit in a private pediatric dental practice

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the behavior of child patients undergoing restorative dental treatment at the first office visit versus those whose first restorative treatment visit was after an initial non-threatening dental visit in a private pediatric dental practice. For patients up to and including age 9, patient behavior was recorded during the restorative session using the Sarnat scale, which rate behavior in 5 levels, from completely cooperative to completely uncooperative. Variables such as age, method of payment, referral source and sex were also recorded. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the behavior of children, who had the first restorative dental experience at the initial office visit versus those children who had the first restorative procedure after a non-invasive introductory visit in all instances. There were no differences according to age, sex, socio-economic status or source of referral. It is concluded that a child may not exhibit more negative behavior as a restorative dental patient when the first visit is for restorative therapy than if the restorative treatment is delivered at a later date after a non-threatening introduction to the dental environment. Thus, a pediatric dentist need not hesitate to treat a child at the first visit for fear that it may engender more negative behavior than if the restorative dental treatment was postponed until another time.

Child behavior in a private pediatric dental practice associated with types of visits, age and socio-economic factors

The purpose of this study was to describe child patient behavior patterns seen in a private pediatric dental practice. Patient behavior for every individual visit was recorded over a span of 3 consecutive months using the Sarnat Behavior Scale as the descriptive measurement device. Behavior during 5 categories of procedures was recorded: new patient examination/introduction to the office, periodic recare, restorative dentistry, orthodontic adjustment and quick check observation. Socio-demographic variables such as age, sex, method of payment as an indicator of socio-economic status, prior dental experience and referral source were also recorded. The results of this study showed: 1. the younger the child and the more threatening the procedure, the more often negative behavior was noted, 2. patients whose dental treatment was paid for by Medicaid and who are likely to be in a lower socio-economic strata, often exhibited more negative behavior than the fee-for service counterparts, 3. in general, there was no difference in the behavior between males and females, although males age 8 to 12 had a higher incidence of negative behavior than females when undergoing restorative dental procedures. There are trends between age, type of procedure, source of patient referral, method of payment and familiarity with the office, that may be able to used as behavioral predictors in a private pediatric dental office.