The relationship between parenting styles and children’s behavior at a dental appointment
Aim. To identify the relationship between the parenting style and the child’s behavior during a dental appointment. Materials and methods. This study involved 110 children and their parents. The children met the following requirements: age from 4 to 6 years, no history of systemic and mental illnesses, primary admission. We used the search methods, questionnaires, and statistical calculations. Information from parents was collected using Stepanov’s questionnaire “Styles of parenting behavior” and Frankl’s behavioral scale. Results. Analysis of the results showed that 60% of parents correctly predicted the behavior of their child, namely families that adhere to authoritative, liberal and indifferent styles. The most positive behavior at a dental appointment was observed in children growing up in a family with an authoritative parenting style. Conclusion. The data confirms the connection between the parenting style and the behavior of children in dentistry. The definition of parenting style is important for the interaction of the child and the pediatric dentist, and should be taken into account when choosing an effective method of behavioral guidance.