Understanding Parental Emotions: Children's Dental Visits and the Separation Experience.

Abstract

Objectives: The presence of parents during dental treatment in children is a controversial concern in dental practice. This is because of conflicting views and practices regarding the presence of parents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate parental response to their presence/absence during their child's dental treatment and to determine the factors that would influence their decision. Methods: A cross-sectional survey questionnaire was administered to United Arab Emirates (UAE) parents. A total of 240 parents participated in the survey, which contained 15 questions that analyzed the participants' demographic details, dental procedures influencing parental separation, and factors influencing their desire to be present during their child's dental treatment. Results: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests (p  < 0.05). The majority (78%) of the parents chose to stay with their children during dental treatment, with a higher prevalence of female parents. The results showed that more parents opted to be with their children during invasive procedures. Younger parents are more likely to stay with their children during dental treatment. The factors influencing parental presence/absence in the dental treatment room depended on the age and nationality of the parent and the type of dental procedure (p  < 0.05). Conclusions: Dental practitioners must provide parents with sufficient opportunities to be present during their children's dental procedures. The factors influencing parental presence/absence should be considered before deciding whether to include or exclude parents in the dental treatment room.