THE RELATIONSHIP OF CHILDRENS PREDICTED BEHAVIOUR TO THEIR OBSERVED BEHAVIOUR DURING DENTAL PROCEDURES

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of some Nigerian 
children’s predicted behaviour to their observed behaviour during dental treatment. 
Two hundred and sixty children aged 2-15years, participated in this study. They 
were treated at the three government dental establishments in Ibadan, a city in 
southwestern Nigeria over a six-month period. The children’s behaviour during the 
different phases of treatment were determined by the Frankl’s Behaviour Rating 
Scale (Frankl et al, 1962). The findings revealed a direct relationship between the 
predicted behaviour and the actual manifested behaviour during dental 
appointments. During clinical examination 42.7% of presumed difficult children 
manifested positive behaviour in comparison to 95.1% whose mothers believed 
would be cooperative (p<0.05). In the process of administering local anaesthesia, 
21.9% of children who had been predicted to be uncooperative by their mothers 
complied, while 63.5% of those expected to be of good behaviour showed a 
positive response (p<0.05). This study thus shows the importance of a mother 
being asked to make a prediction of the possible behaviour of her child before the 
dental treatment. This information will enable the dental practitioner take 
precautionary measures against untoward behaviour, which may be manifested. 
Appropriate behaviour management skills such as behaviour shapping, Tell-ShowDo, modeling and reinforcement instituted in children likely to behave poorly will 
enable each child come out with a positive impression at every attendance.