The use of restraint in the treatment of paediatric dental patients: old and new insights.
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews aspects of the restraint strategies in paediatric dentistry that have been reviewed in recent years and point out those strategies that remain controversial as well as questionable.


METHODS
Studies that evaluated demographic and cultural factors that influence dentists' use of restraint, discussion of the rationale behind the use of restraint, the role of parents, informed consent, use of restraints at the undergraduate and at the postgraduate level, and some ethical questions were selected.


CONCLUSIONS
Practice location, caries prevalence, and the educational backgrounds of the dentist played a role in the selection of behavioural strategies. Use of these techniques varied depending on the age of the dentist and the dental school from which the dentist had graduated. Parents are one leg of the child/dentist/parent triangle and therefore have a role to play in the determination of treatment strategies. Dentists must select techniques that help to instill a positive dental attitude in the child by performing treatment effectively and efficiently. Dentists must inform parents of all aspects of the applied strategy and must have their approval.
Peretz
B
B
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, The Hebrew University - Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel. benny@cc.huji.ac.il
Gluck
G M
GM
D002648:Child; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000379:methods*; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D010290:Parents; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*