Raising children with warmth and emotional support, as well firm behavioral control, may demonstrate better behavior during dental visits. This study was recently published in BMC Oral Health.
However, being stricter and employing an authoritarian style or using a permissive parenting style may result in less cooperative pediatric patients requiring longer operative time at the dentist, the authors wrote.
"Children of authoritative parents needed significantly less operative time than the authoritarian and permissive groups, which is a highly significant and beneficial factor for both the dentist and the child to provide comfortable, pleasant, and effective dental treatment," wrote the authors, led by Sara Saiid Henedy of Alexandria University in Egypt (BMC Oral Health, March 5, 2025, Vol. 25, 342).
To examine how different parenting styles affect a child's behavior during dental visits, 60 children, ages 4 to 6, requiring restoration in a primary molar were selected from the outpatient clinic. Parents then completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire.
Children's behavior was assessed using the Frankl Behavioral Rating Scale during both the initial and restorative visits, while procedure time was measured from videotaped recordings of the restorative visit, they wrote.
Children of authoritative parents exhibited significantly more positive behavior (Frankl rating 3) compared to the children of authoritarian and permissive parents (Frankl rating 2) during examination, x-ray, and fluoride application. Overall, children of authoritative parents demonstrated significantly better behavior during the examination visit (p = 0.002).
Similarly, during anesthesia administration, rubber dam application, cavity preparation, and restoration, children of authoritative parents showed more positive behavior, with overall better behavior in the dental chair (p = 0.004).
Operative time was significantly shorter for children of authoritative parents (13.83 minutes) compared to those with authoritarian (26.61 minutes) and permissive parents (26.25 minutes) (p = 0.001, p = 0.008, respectively).
However, further research is needed to explore how parenting styles affect children's behavior across different age groups, the authors added.
"Parent awareness through health education and encouraging an authoritative attitude would make a great difference not only in the child's behavior on the dental chair but also in his interaction with different aspects and challenges of life," they concluded.
