Assessment of Child Psychological Attributes for Prediction of Child Behavior at First Dental Visit

Assessment of Child Psychological Attributes Using Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire for Prediction of Child Behavior at First Dental Visit Through: A Cross Sectional Study

One of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide is mental disorder, including social, emotional, and behavioral problems, and it is the fifth main cause of global disability . In Egypt, it is estimated that 20.6% of children aged from 6-12 years had behavioral problems

Behavioral and emotional problems may affect deeply child's quality of life, such as impairment of school life (high absence), They may cause nutritional imbalance and even suicidal thoughts. Therefore, both the dentist and the family should be adequately prepared to deal with those children who come seeking dental treatment.

Recently, studies proved the association between the psychological characteristics and the behavior of children in dental setting. There was a study that showed that there is a relation between psychological functioning of the child, dental anxiety and his/her behaviour during dental appointment. Furthermore, it was found that there is a correlation between the temperamental difficulties or emotional problems of the child and the non-cooperative behavior during the process of injection of the local anesethia.

These studies ensures the importance of understanding the effect of mental disorders on the behavior of children during dental treatment, as it would help the professionals to properly plan the clinic appointments without any delay or cancellation of the appointment and allows him to render effective and efficient dental treatment.

this study aims to acknowledge the different psychological attributes among children seeking dental treatment at young age and to assess the association between child psychological attributes and his/her behavior in dental clinic.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children: school aged children (4 to 7) years old
• Teeth: carious teeth requiring a simple dental treatment (cavity preparation with restoration)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children:

  • Medically compromised children.
  • Children with previous dental history.
  • Refusal of participation.