Abstract

ALMEIDA, Flávia Maria de et al. Relevant characteristics to establishment of confidence in the Pediatric Dentist. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) [online]. 2015, vol.14, n.3, pp. 695-698. ISSN 1677-3888.

The importance and influence of the guardians in pediatric dentistry is a knowledge in construction. This study aimed to evaluate the determining characteristics to establish confidence of guardians in the pediatric dentist. Seventy-two guardians of children aged 4-13 years of three institutions of Minas Gerais participated: UninCor/Belo Horizonte (capital) and Primary Care Health Units in Moema-MG and Várzea da Palma (interior). For data collection, semistructured interview with reasons for the choice of dentist and relevant characteristics to trust in the professional was used. The chi-square and Fisher's exact statistical test was performed (p<0.05). Most respondents was of the interior (61.1%) and had a mean age of 34.48 years. The most frequent companion in the consultations was the mother (70.8%). Male children accounted for 58.3% of the sample and 51.5% were between 4 and 8 years. The reason most cited by guardians was professional experience (63.9%) and the dentist-child interaction was the most important characteristic (59.7%) for the guardians to obtain trust in the dentist. The reason for choosing the dentist was associated with the determinants characteristics of confidence (p=0.02). Therefore, the dentist-child interaction is characteristic of highly relevant for guardians of pediatric patients trust the dentist.

Keywords : pediatric dentistry; guardians; trust; cultural characteristics..