Parents' Gender Preferences for Dentists in Different Procedures for Themselves and their Children.

Abstract

Background: Patient preferences, especially physician gender, may vary with different types of treatment decisions. While past research has explored gender preferences in health care providers, there is a gap regarding dentists.

Aim: This study aims to fill this gap by investigating whether parents have gender preferences for their own and their children's dentists and the reasons behind those preferences. Understanding these preferences can improve treatment success and patient‒dentist relationships.

Methods: This study included 292 parents who attended the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at Baskent University between 2019 and 2020. A questionnaire was given to the parents of the patients with their consent. The demographic data of the patients and parents were also examined.

Results: A total of 292 parents who agreed to participate were included in the study. The majority of parents stated that they do not have a preference for the gender of the dentist for different treatments or procedures, whether for themselves or their children.

Conclusion: Most of the surveyed parents did not have strong preferences for the gender of their dentists for dental procedures, but there were subtle variations in their responses. Further research into the reasons behind these preferences could improve the parent‒dentist relationship, creating a better environment for the child.