210 - Positive Attitudes Towards Dental Visits From the Pediatric Patient's Perspective

Positive Attitudes Towards Dental Visits From the Pediatric Patient’s Perspective, Pinnock A, Lolo P (Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL)

Purpose: To determine demographic, familial influence, experience preferences, and treatment history factors that predict attitudes of pediatric patients utilizing dental services.

Methods: A 19 item questionnaire in English and Spanish was developed and pre-tested for reliability and comprehensibility. The survey was administered verbally prior to the appointment and included 6 questions for the adult accompanying the patient to the appointment and 13 questions for the patient. Children who participated in the study were ages 7 through 12 and patients of record at a pediatric dental residency program. The adult questions included demographic information and their feelings towards going to the dentist. The patient questions were related to feelings towards going to the dentist; memory of exposure to stories about going to the dentist and playing with related toys; perceptions of their parents’ and siblings’ attitudes towards going to the dentist; and feelings towards selected aspects of the dental visit. Participants’ clinical information including medical history, dental treatment experience such as sealants, fillings, crowns, extractions, and caries activity were collected from the electronic dental record.

Results: The surveys were completed from June 2021- until December 2021. A total of 157 patients and adults consented to participate in this study. The population sample was evenly distributed with male (50%) and female (50%) patients. The average age of the patients was 9 years old. A chi-square analysis was run. Race of the participants were reported as Black or African American (9.6%), Mixed race (6.4%), other (34.4%), and White (49.7%) and was statistically significant (P=.001). Majority of participants reported they were of Hispanic origin 140 (89.2%), while 17 (10.8%) reported not being Hispanic. This was also statistically significant (P=.0033). Of the 157 participants, 66 pediatric patients reported liking going to the dentist (42%); 37 pediatric patients reported disliking going to the dentist (23.6%); and 54 pediatric patients reported unsure how they felt or didn’t care about going to the dentist (34.4%). The pediatric patient group that likes going to the dentist had the highest percentage of accompanying adults who reported liking and enjoying going to the dentist (68.2%).The pediatric patient group reporting not liking going to the dentist had the highest percentage (32.4%) of accompanying adults who reported not liking going to the dentist. The vast majority of patients from all of the groups reported liking the rewards, with the “like going to dentist” group having the highest percentage of liking the rewards amongst all of the groups. Findings were statistically significant ranging from P=.001 to P=.0077. The data showed that the “like going to the dentist” group had the highest percentage of patients with no history of caries.