Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review
Cultural norms, beliefs, and practices influence parental expectations, children’s responses, and the acceptance of behaviour management techniques (BMTs) in paediatric dentistry. Despite this, the existing guidelines often adopt a standardized approach, overlooking critical cultural differences. Th...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Dentistry Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/186 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850127187880968192 |
|---|---|
| author | Adebola Oluyemisi Ehizele Love Bukola Ayamolowo Adeyinka Ishola Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan |
| author_facet | Adebola Oluyemisi Ehizele Love Bukola Ayamolowo Adeyinka Ishola Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan |
| author_sort | Adebola Oluyemisi Ehizele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cultural norms, beliefs, and practices influence parental expectations, children’s responses, and the acceptance of behaviour management techniques (BMTs) in paediatric dentistry. Despite this, the existing guidelines often adopt a standardized approach, overlooking critical cultural differences. This scoping review maps the links between culture and behaviour management strategies in paediatric dental settings. A scoping review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and hand-searched sources from the inception of the databases to 31 January 2025. A total of 671 studies were identified, with 15 meeting the inclusion criteria. Data on the key findings were inductively analyzed to assess cultural influences on parental acceptance, child behavior, and communication. The findings show that non-invasive BMTs such as TellShow–Do and positive reinforcement were the most accepted across cultures, while passive and active restraints were least accepted, especially in Western populations. Parental preferences varied; Jordanian parents were more accepting of passive restraint than German parents, while general anaesthesia was preferred in Bahrain. Cultural norms shaped communication styles—Latino families emphasized warm interpersonal interactions, whereas Pakistani families exhibited limited parental involvement due to language barriers. Black and Hispanic Medicaid-enrolled mothers in the U.S. reported lower satisfaction with pain management, highlighting disparities in culturally competent care. In conclusion, cultural factors significantly influence paediatric behaviour management in dental clinics. Integrating cultural competence into practice can enhance communication, improve patient compliance, and promote equitable care. Further research is needed, particularly in Africa and South America, to inform globally inclusive behaviour management guidelines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c25d824bb0244b19117a2274920c5ff |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2304-6767 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dentistry Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c25d824bb0244b19117a2274920c5ff2025-08-20T02:33:44ZengMDPI AGDentistry Journal2304-67672025-04-0113518610.3390/dj13050186Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping ReviewAdebola Oluyemisi Ehizele0Love Bukola Ayamolowo1Adeyinka Ishola2Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan3Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City 300001, NigeriaDepartment of Nursing Science, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220001, NigeriaFaculty of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 110115, NigeriaDepartment of Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220001, NigeriaCultural norms, beliefs, and practices influence parental expectations, children’s responses, and the acceptance of behaviour management techniques (BMTs) in paediatric dentistry. Despite this, the existing guidelines often adopt a standardized approach, overlooking critical cultural differences. This scoping review maps the links between culture and behaviour management strategies in paediatric dental settings. A scoping review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and hand-searched sources from the inception of the databases to 31 January 2025. A total of 671 studies were identified, with 15 meeting the inclusion criteria. Data on the key findings were inductively analyzed to assess cultural influences on parental acceptance, child behavior, and communication. The findings show that non-invasive BMTs such as TellShow–Do and positive reinforcement were the most accepted across cultures, while passive and active restraints were least accepted, especially in Western populations. Parental preferences varied; Jordanian parents were more accepting of passive restraint than German parents, while general anaesthesia was preferred in Bahrain. Cultural norms shaped communication styles—Latino families emphasized warm interpersonal interactions, whereas Pakistani families exhibited limited parental involvement due to language barriers. Black and Hispanic Medicaid-enrolled mothers in the U.S. reported lower satisfaction with pain management, highlighting disparities in culturally competent care. In conclusion, cultural factors significantly influence paediatric behaviour management in dental clinics. Integrating cultural competence into practice can enhance communication, improve patient compliance, and promote equitable care. Further research is needed, particularly in Africa and South America, to inform globally inclusive behaviour management guidelines.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/186cultural sensitivitybehaviour management techniquespaediatric dentistrycommunicationparenting stylesstoicism |
| spellingShingle | Adebola Oluyemisi Ehizele Love Bukola Ayamolowo Adeyinka Ishola Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review Dentistry Journal cultural sensitivity behaviour management techniques paediatric dentistry communication parenting styles stoicism |
| title | Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review |
| title_full | Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review |
| title_fullStr | Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review |
| title_short | Culture and Behaviour Management of Children in the Dental Clinic: A Scoping Review |
| title_sort | culture and behaviour management of children in the dental clinic a scoping review |
| topic | cultural sensitivity behaviour management techniques paediatric dentistry communication parenting styles stoicism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/5/186 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adebolaoluyemisiehizele cultureandbehaviourmanagementofchildreninthedentalclinicascopingreview AT lovebukolaayamolowo cultureandbehaviourmanagementofchildreninthedentalclinicascopingreview AT adeyinkaishola cultureandbehaviourmanagementofchildreninthedentalclinicascopingreview AT morenikeoluwatoyinfolayan cultureandbehaviourmanagementofchildreninthedentalclinicascopingreview |