Evaluation of the compatibility of children and their parents in terms of their preference for dentists based on dentist profile appearances

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the preferences of pediatric patients and their parents for dentists with varying profile appearances and their concordance with each other. Materials and Methods: The study included 300 children aged 7-14 years and their mothers who met the inclusion criteria. A Likert scale questionnaire form consisting of four sections was created by the physician to be used in the study. For the questionnaire to be filled in the study, a section was created in which the hair characteristics of the physicians were evaluated. In this section, photos of male/female models with and without bonnets, and photos of male/female models with different hair types, colors and lengths are presented. The accessory section of the questionnaire included piercing, tattoo, earring, optical glasses, visor, make-up, beard, mustache categories. Dental anxiety levels of all participants were determined using the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale. The questionnaire and form to be used in the measurement were made ready to be filled in online through a platform and completed by a single researcher. The questionnaire was prepared in two separate stages as child and mother sections. Statistical analysis of the study was performed using SPSS package software. Results: Child participants and mothers preferred female physicians more than male physicians. When the hairstyles of the physicians were evaluated, it was found that both children and mothers gave the lowest rating for the male physician with long hair and a significant level of agreement was observed between the child and the mother (ICC=0.358; p<0.001). In the accessories section, piercings and tattoos of physicians were evaluated with lower mean scores compared to other categories. When the age groups of the children were classified as pre-adolescent (7-9 years) and adolescent (10-14 years), it was observed that adolescent children did not show agreement with their mothers in the category of physicians' hair characteristics (ICC=0.281; p=0.072). Conclusion: In our study, although it was observed that the mother and child were often compatible with each other in their choice of physician, when the children were evaluated according to age groups, it was found that the preferences of pediatric patients in the adolescence period may not follow a parallel course with their mothers. Therefore, it is recommended that older children should also be asked for their opinions on physician preference. In addition, it should be kept in mind that the marginal hairstyles and accessories that physicians may prefer in their social lives may affect patients' perceptions of the physician. Keywords: Dentist patient relations, Physical appearance, Physician preference, Compliance