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Home Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents' decision

Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents’ decision

Authors:

  • M. S. Mourad
    Department of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, Germany
  • J. Brendebach
    Department of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, Germany
  • M. Alkilzy
    Department of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, Germany
  • C. H. Splieth
    Department of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.01.15

ABSTRACT


Aim

Choosing a paediatric dentist is an important decision for parents. The mechanisms of this selection have hardly been studied. This study assesses the factors influencing parents’ decision choosing a specialised paediatric dentist for their child.

Methods

A questionnaire consisting of 30 items that could potentially be relevant to decision-making was sent nationwide in Germany to paediatric dentists to be given to the parents of new patients (n=450). Eighty-nine out of 102 returned questionnaires (response rate=22.7%) were evaluated.

Results

Parent’s and children’s experience in previous dental visits played
an “important” or “very important” role in choosing a paediatric dentist (78.8% and 62.2%, respectively). The most frequently mentioned recommendation for the paediatric dentist was by friends and acquaintances (86.5%). Recommendations from other dentists were often included in the decision making (60.7%), while specialist journals or Internet portals were less important for the respondents (15% and 19%, respectively). Most of the parents used Internet search engines and the practice website to obtain information.

Conclusion

Previous negative experience with general dentists was the main reason for visiting a specialised paediatric dentist. Recommendations came mostly from the close social environment and the qualifications were the most important feature for choosing a paediatric dentist.

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Publication date:

March /2020

Keywords:

children, paediatric dentist, parents, specialist

Issue:

Vol.21 – n.1/2020

Page:

74 – 79

Publisher:

Ariesdue

Cite:


Harvard: M. S. Mourad, J. Brendebach, M. Alkilzy, C. H. Splieth (2020) "Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents' decision", European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 21(1), pp74-79. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.01.15
Vancouver: M. S. Mourad, J. Brendebach, M. Alkilzy, C. H. Splieth. Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents' decision. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry [Internet]. 2020Mar.1 [cited 2025May.17];21(1):74-79. Available from: https://www.ejpd.eu/abstract-pubmed/choosing-a-paediatric-dentist-factors-influencing-parents-decision/
MLA: M. S. Mourad, J. Brendebach, M. Alkilzy, C. H. Splieth Choosing a paediatric dentist: Factors influencing parents' decision. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. 2020;21(1):74-79

Copyright (c) 2021 Ariesdue

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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