Behaviour Management Challenges in Pediatric Dentistry

Behaviour management is fundamental to providing effective and efficient dental care to a child
patient. Disruptive behaviour of a child impedes the quality of treatment while increasing the duration
of treatment and the risk of injury to the child. A child’s behavior on dental visit is influenced by
variables like age, parental anxiety, behavior management and procedural techniques followed by the
dentist. However, the unique personality traits and temperament of children have the most significant
impact and largely govern the perception of information and their conduct in the dental environment.
Studies have shown that temperament, as measured by established psychological tools, can be
significantly associated with behavior at a dental visit [1]. The characteristic of shyness and disruptive
behavior in a pre-surgical setting have been found to be interlinked. Impulsion and negative emotions
have also been more commonly found in children with behavior management problems.
Although, the unique needs and oral health care of individuals with special health care needs (SHCN)
is an integral part of the specialty of pediatric dentistry [2], their specialized oral health care is beyond
the scope of this chapter. The chapter deals with understanding and quantifying the behaviour of child
patient, the novel challenges of pediatric dentistry, evidence of behaviour patterns and specific
behaviour guidance for each personality type in children.