Discretionary Parental Presence in the Dental Operatory: A Survey of Pediatric Dentists and Parents

Abstract

Background: The decision to include or exclude parent presence in the dental operatory during
a child’s visit has long been a controversial issue in pediatric dentistry. The intent of this
paper was to explore the contemporary views of pediatric dentists and parents with respect to
the rationale for which including or excluding parents has impact on children’s behavior and
response to dental treatment.
Methods: A printed mailed randomized survey of 1000 nationwide pediatric dentists was distributed.
A second survey of parents was requested from offices which both included and excluded
parents from the operatory to ascertain their opinions of how they anticipated their
children would react and whether or not their inclusion in the dental operatory would impact
favorably or not on their child’s acceptance of care.
Results: In contrast to previous decades increasing interest and willingness of pediatric dentists
to permit parent presence was found significant for children 30 months of age or older. Regardless
of whether parents were permitted to be present in various offices, interest to be present
among parents was found to be significantly increased for examinations and treatment. Where
parent presence was permissible significant differences (p<0.001) were found between parents
from pediatric dental practices that routinely allowed parents to be present compared to both
dentists and parents from practices in which parents were excluded.
Conclusions: For pre-school children, children lacking in cooperative potential, and those with
a history of fearful or unpleasant previous experience, arbitrary exclusion of parents from the
dental operatory appears increasingly perceived as unproductive and unwarranted. Trends appear
to emerge in the direction of increasing willingness of pediatric dentists to permit parent
presence for examination and treatment visits.