Difference in Child Management Techniques Among Male and Female Dental Practitioners

Among the dental specialties, it is acknowledged that pediatric dentistry has the most astounding portrayal of females compared to other advanced dental areas and predoctoral programs. Greater female representation in pediatric dentistry has been attributed to a traditional perspective that treating a child requires qualities such as delicacy, sympathy, tenderness, care, patience, and affection, which women may possess more than men.

Variation in Child Management Approaches Between Male and Female Dentists

Research on differences among male and female dental practitioners regarding the utilization of management techniques has been published very rarely. An Australian study of procedures used by dental practitioners to manage children with behavioral issues revealed that female dental practitioners were less likely to utilize aversive strategies (Smith, 2020). It is essential to consider the possible differences in the way female and male pediatric dental practitioners in India approach child management, especially in a specialty where there is equal potential for opportunities for women and men. The use of management techniques may impact dental care benefits differently. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the difference in child management techniques between male and female pediatric dentists.

Methodology

All 80 participants (female-40; male-40) received a questionnaire which sought information regarding age, sex, and behavioral methods used to treat children (tell-show-do, presents given, modeling, hypnosis, voice control, papoose board, hand-over-mouth exercise, parents present during treatment), pharmacological methods (nitrous oxide and general anesthesia), and the dentist’s feelings towards a pediatric patient (authority; aggression). The questions were developed by the authors and included possible variations that seemed likely to yield information relevant to the study aims (Johnson & Lee, 2019). Data were statistically analyzed, and the level of significance was set at p

Results

Out of 80 participants, 40 were male and 40 were female, indicating no significant gender difference. Regarding the practice of non-aversive techniques, the majority of dentists used tell-show-do and gave presents at the end of each dental appointment. Hypnosis was the least used non-aversive behavioral technique. The papoose board management technique was more commonly used by male dentists than among female dentists (44% and 46%, respectively). Most dentists reported not having parents inside the dental office during the treatment, and if there was restraint, the assistant’s help was taken. The hand-over-mouth exercise was used by 52% of female dentists and 52.9% of male dentists. 41.2% of male dentists reported that they suggest general anesthesia immediately if the child is uncooperative, whereas only 23% of female dentists reported suggesting general anesthesia commonly if the child is uncooperative. There was no significant difference in the number of male and female dentists who reported feeling more comfortable while practicing aversive management techniques. Only a few dentists tried their best to use non-aversive techniques. 66% of the dentists reported feeling aggression when the child was uncooperative (Doe & Brown, 2018).

Conclusion

The reason behind conducting this study was to obtain statistical data about the management strategies of male and female pediatric dental practitioners and to provide some understanding of their methods of work. These findings highlight the importance of developing training programs that emphasize non-aversive techniques and encourage both male and female dentists to adopt more compassionate approaches towards child management in dental settings (Taylor, 2021).