title: Behavioral evaluation during dental care in children ages 0 to 3 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies concluded that the behavior of babies complicated dental care because of child immaturity or the difficulty of establishing acceptable communication and comprehension.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 696 babies were randomly selected from the baby clinic of Araçatuba in Brazil. Patient age ranged from 0 to 36 months. They were divided into 6 groups according to age: Group I-0 to 6 months; Group II-7 to 12 months; Group III-13 to 18 months; Group IV-19 to 24 months; Group V-25 to 30 months; Group VI-31 to 36 months. The behavior of the child was evaluated upon entrance in the dental office and during the first 4 clinical appointments with a clinical exam and oral physiotherapy. The baby was classified as collaborator (C) or noncollaborator (NC). Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's chi-square method (P < .05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of NC for Groups II, III, IV, and V (66%), was significantly higher than for groups I (30%) and VI (50%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Babies from 0 to 6 months showed a collaborative behavior; babies from 7 to 30 months showed noncollaborative behavior; and babies from 31 to 36 months showed no statistically significant difference between the percentage of C and NC.
authors.affiliation: State University School of Dentistry, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. cunha@foa.unesp.br
authors.forename: Robson Frederico
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Alberto Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Delbem
authors.forename: Célio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Percinoto
authors.forename: Fabíola Lemos
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Melhado
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003448:Crying; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010808:Physical Examination