The relationship between temperament and behavior in 3–7‑year‑old children during dental treatment

Abstract

Background: Various factors affect child behavior in different situations such as in a dental clinic.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between temperament and child
behavior during routine dental treatment.
Materials and Methods: The present study is a descriptive‑analytic study that included 199
children aged 3–7‑years from patients referred to a dental clinic of Guilan University of Medical
Sciences in 2017–2018. The Children’s Behavior Questionnaire, which is specific to children aged
3–7 years, was used to assess children’s dental temperament. Children’s behaviors during dental
treatment were recorded using Frankl scale. Finally, the data were analyzed by the SPSS‑16 statistical
software.
Results: About 47.9% of the samples were female, with a mean temperament score of 4.79 which
was significantly higher than males (P < 0.05). Almost 2.4% of children had completely negative
behaviors and 2.8% had a completely positive behavior. The mean scores of fear (P = 0.008) and
anger (P = 0.004) in children with completely negative behavior were higher than those with
completely positive behavior. Moreover, the average scores of inhibitory control (P = 0.003) and
perceptual sensitivity (P = 0.001) in completely positive children were higher than completely
negative children.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that girls had a better mean score of
temperament than boys. The inhibitory control and perceptual sensitivity in completely positive
children were significantly higher than negative children. In addition, a higher mean score of fear
and anger was observed in completely negative children.
Key Words: Child behavior, dental anxiety, temperament