Evaluation of children’s perception of non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques - An innovative study

Abstract

Background: Behaviour management is considered a keystone entity in paediatric dentistry. Good behavioural management techniques are essential for managing children. To ensure the acceptance of dental care, appropriate behaviour management technique should be applied. Aim: To evaluate children’s perception of various non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques used by pediatric dentists. Materials and methods: 68 patients, 9 to 12 years of age were individually shown videos of 8 different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques: Tell show do, positive reinforcement, distraction, non-verbal communication, parental presence/ absence, protective stabilization, voice control and magic trick. After watching these videos, children were asked to evaluate their perception on a Likert scale. Results: Positive reinforcement was the most accepted followed by distraction and magic trick. The least accepted were protective stabilization and voice control. Conclusion: It is important to understand the child’s point of view and their opinion should always be considered as they are the ones receiving the dental treatment.