Determining Parenting Styles and other Factors Rendering Definitely Negative Children’s Behavior in Dental Office at The First Dental Visit

Introduction: It is believed that parental styles not only can strategically impact how a child
behaves but can also influence how a child can handle unfamiliar situations. Parenting styles also
influence how a child copes with stresses and stimuli, including those in the dental office.
Aim of the study: To determine various parenting styles and other factors that may render
children’s behavior to be definitely negative in dental office at the first dental visit.
Subjects and Methods: Patients 3-6 years old, showing definitely negative behavior and
apparently free from conditions limiting cognitive development were included in the study. Yet,
patients with severe dental pain/ history of dental treatment / phobia were excluded. One of the
researchers performed oral examination and dental prophylaxis to assess children’s behavior. First
questionnaire (PFQ) investigated family data. Second questionnaire (PCPR) assessed parenting
style based on Baumrind’s parenting types. Pilot study was performed, whereby; some questions
were omitted while others were modified. Statistical analysis was performed & significance level
was set at P ≤ 0.05.
Results: This study was conducted on 150 patients; 83 males (55.3%) and 67 females (44.7%).
Regarding results of PFQ, the followings were encountered; 84% of parents were married, 50%
had secondary school education, 84.7% aged 25-35 years, 46.7% had two children, 67.3% reside
in urban areas, 46.7% had monthly family income < 5000 Egyptian pounds and 50.7% reported
that their children had no previous encounters with either a doctor or physician. Results of
PPCPR showed that 54.7% of parents were permissive, 43.3% were authoritarians and 2% were
authoritative. Statistical significant association between educational level and family size versus
parental style (P-values = 0.007 & 0.010 respectively) was noted. While age, gender, marital status
and monthly income showed no statistical significant association with parental style.
Conclusion: Definitely negative behavior was highly noted in children of permissive and
authoritarian parents. Educational level and family size were significantly associated with parental
style.