Survey of Dentists' Attitude Towards Parents Accompanying Children in the Dental Operatory

Background: The most significant problems in pediatric dentistry is behavioural resistance of children in the first visit. There is a debate on parental presence in operation room. The literature on dentists' preference of parental presence in the operatory is sparse. Aims: 1. To determine the percentage of dentists in a major city who prefer parental presence in the dental operatory. 2. To correlate parameters like practitioners’ gender, practice type, patient volume, and patient age in allowing parental accompaniment. 3. To determine the significant variable that constraints dentists from allowing parental presence. Methods And Materials: The study group included pediatric dentists and dentists who treat children in their private or institutional practice. Specific variables that were addressed in the questionnaire and used for the correlation included: practitioners age, gender, qualification, years in practice, practice type, volume of children treated by them, attitudes towards parental accompaniment and variables that constraints the dentist while treating children in parental presence. Results: 43% dentists felt comfortable treating children in the presence of parents. Factors like gender, practice type and volume of patients have shown to influence the attitude of dentist towards parental accompaniment. The major constraint reported by dentists is that of parents intercepting orders and thus affecting the rapport between the dentist and child (85.6%, n=89) Conclusion: The dentists practicing in this city demonstrated a positive trend towards increased parental presence in the operatory.