Children's Perception of Their Dentists

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess school children's feelings and attitudes toward their dentist.

Methods: A questionnaire designed to evaluate children's attitudes and preferences toward dentists was completed by 583 children (289 females, 294 males) with age range 9-12 years attending public schools.

Results: 76% of the children who completed the questionnaire reported that they had been to the dentist before. Of the children who had visited the dentist, approximately 64% reported liking their visit, 11% didn't like their visit, and 12% were afraid. 90% of the children preferred their dentist to wear a white coat, while 40% preferred them to wear a mask and protective eye glasses as protective measures during treatment. When asked to choose between two pictures of different clinical settings, 63% of the children indicated that they preferred a decorated dental clinic over a plain clinic. Fear of local anesthesia and tooth extraction were the most common reasons cited for not liking dental treatment.

Conclusions: Children have strong perceptions and preferences regarding their dentists. Data collected for this study can be used by dentists to improve delivery of care.