Original scientific paper
Pain as an important factor on childs behaviour in the dentist office
Ljubica Vranić-Stavljenić
; Dom zdravlja »Novi Zagreb«, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Changes in the behaviour of preschool children during three visits to
the dentist were observed to determine the role pain has on behaviour during the examination and dental procedures. The preschool children were between 3—7 years of age (193 boys and 175 girls) and had not had prior dental experience. This variable proved to have a significant effect on the behaviour of children in the dentist office. Children not acquainted with dental pain behaved much better during the third visit even after poor behaviour during the second visit. The examinees who were already acquainted with the feeling of pain had a much harder time accepting dental procedures and behaved poorly in the second and third visit. This clearly indicates the need to prevent pain in the first examination, to control pain with local anesthesia for dental work in the second visit, to prepare the child psychologically and if necessary, to give premedication.
Keywords
dental pain; children’s behaviour
Hrčak ID:
105701
URI
Publication date:
15.6.1982.
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