Parental presence during treatment of the child patient: a study with British parents.
A clinical study was carried out to determine if parental presence during dental treatment alters the child's behaviour when compared with parental absence. Thirty-two children who attended with a parent for a dental recall visit were randomly assigned to a parent present or a parent absent group. The age of the children ranged from 4 to 12 years. Twenty-three mothers and nine fathers attended during the study. Those parents absent during the visit viewed proceedings from behind a one-way mirror. Each visit was standardised in procedure and recorded on video tape. The results showed that 4 to 8-year-old children exhibited significantly more negative behaviour, regardless of parental presence, than the 9 to 12-year-olds. The presence of the parent did not lead to significantly greater negative behaviour. The parent's need to see what happened during the visit and the child's need to have a parent present were the most important reasons for having a parent present. Parents viewing from behind a one-way mirror were as satisfied with their position as parents who had been actually present in the surgery.
Fenlon
W L
WL
Department of Child Dental Health, University of Leeds.
Dabbs
A R
AR
Curzon
M E
ME
Dobbs
A R
AR
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D003770:Dental Offices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014743:Videotape Recording