back to contentsThe adaptability of the child patient to the dental treatment
- from the standpoint of the dental nurses -
Junko Motai, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tadashi Noda
Department of Pedodontics, School of Dentistry, Niigata University
(Director: Prof. Tadashi Noda)
Abstract:
@The purpose of this study was to know the adaptability and the emotional status of the child patient at the dental treatment. The subjects were 27 children aged from 2 to 6 years old, who visited the clinic of the department of pedodontics, School of Dentistry, Niigata University for the dental treatment. The behavioral reactions of the patients were observed and evaluated before, during and after the dental treatment. In order to know the relationship among the items which were investigated, principal component analysis was performed. The results are summarized as follows:
1. The patients who showed uncooperative behavior in the dental chair were also
uncooperative before treatment, but their behavior took a turn for the better quickly after the treatment.
2. As for the behavioral reaction before and after the treatment, there were no
difference between the patients who showed cooperative behavior in the treatment with crying and without crying.
3. While the treatment was being carried out, some attitudes of the patient were estimated as the rating scores. The score of the patients uncooperative movement, crying, grumbling about the dental treatment were highly related to the patients age. It means that elder patients showed better adaptation to the dental treatment than younger patients, and this tendency were shown in the results of the principal component analysis.
4. The scores of their reactions to the doctor's talking were much related to
their visiting times to our clinic and not related to the other uncooperative attitudes or their age.