The Influence of Parenting Style and Child Temperament on Child-Parent-Dentist Interactions

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the interaction between parenting style and child's temperament as modulators of anxiety and behavior in children during the dental procedure. Methods: Healthy four- to six-year-olds (n equals 288), with carious primary molars scheduled to receive amalgam fillings were selected. The Primary Caregivers Practices Report was used to assess the parenting style, and the Children's Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form was used to evaluate child temperament. Children were managed using common behavior management strategies. Child behavior and anxiety during the procedure were assessed using the Frankl behavior rating scale and the verbal skill scale, respectively. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation among variables. Results: Authoritative parenting style was positively related to positive child's behavior (P<.05) and negatively related to child's anxiety (P<05). A positive relationship existed between permissive subscale and negative behaviors (P<.05) and child's anxiety (P<05). There was a significant direct effect of authoritative parenting style on the effortful control trait (P<.05) and permissive parent style on the child negative affectivity (P<05). Conclusions: Parenting style appeared to mediate child temperament and anxiety, and was related to the child's behavior. Parenting style should be considered in the selection of behavior guidance techniques.