Proceedings of the 10th International Academic Conference, Vienna

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDREN´S DENTAL TREATMENT

LIVIU GAVRILA-ARDELEAN

Abstract:

In this article I present a new concept in dentistry which becomes one of the main branches of contemporary medicine. Attitudes toward medical treatment are influenced by a number of factors related to the child's environment, education, the medical skills and competence. To highlight the psychological factors involved in attitude towards dental treatment we used a lot of 260 children aged 6-12 years who were asked to make a drawing theme "a child to the dentist". Subjects were divided into three categories of patients: reluctant, docile collaborators and active collaborators. The children's drawings were interpreted in psychological terms to highlight the psychological particular aspects that arise in child-dentist relationship. Interpreting findings show that in reluctant patients, drawings are done in cool colors with changes of components in all cases. In docile collaborators patients drawings contain elements changes and use cool colors to 67.10% of cases, and active collaborators work designs are modified and used cool colors only 35.15% of cases. Following research conducted both hypotheses (H1 - I assumed that emotional states experienced by children to the dentist can be found in their designs, H2: We assumed that the different categories of reluctant patients, docile collaborators and active collaborators will present drawings different features) have been confirmed in practice. The drawing theme used before dental treatment can be an indicator of a child's emotional state and help the dentist to take a proper attitude in dealing with it.

Keywords: dental treatment, child in treatment, reluctant patient, docile collaborator patients, active collaborators, drawing theme, projection through drawing, drawing design changed elements

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