Parental acceptance of behavior management techniques for children with clefts.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to assess the acceptance of 4 techniques employed for child behavior management during dental treatment.

METHODS

Four hundred caretakers of 4- to 10-year-old children with cleft lip and/or palate presented for dental treatment at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil. They were interviewed after explanation and presentation of photographs illustrating the sequence of the following techniques: tellshow-do; voice control; physical restraint; and hand-over-mouth.

RESULTS

The levels of acceptance of the techniques were 98%, 96%, 81%, and 85%, respectively. A large acceptance was observed for all techniques investigated. The caretakers' fear that the techniques might make the child afraid of the dentist was commonly mentioned as nonacceptance for all techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that it is important for pediatric dentistry professionals to inform parents about each technique's objectives before application to avoid possible misunderstandings and to foster a trusting relationship between the child, the parents, and the dentist.