Association between children’s perceptions of the dentist and dental treatment and their oral health-related quality of life

Aim: To examine children’s perceptions of dentists and dental treatment and their association with oral health-related quality of life. Methods: Participants were 60 children, aged 8–10 years old, who completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8 − 10), Facial Image Scale (FIS) interview, and picture drawing. Results: The children displayed slight fear and anxiety on the FIS (95.0%). A positive view of the dentist (83.4%) and dental treatment (75.0%) was observed through the drawings. The majority of children (96.7%) noted an impact of oral diseases on quality of life, with no significant differences in gender (p = 0.5791) or age (p = 0.1808). No significant associations were observed between the perceptions of the dentist and dental treatment and the impact of oral diseases on quality of life (p = 0.8131). Conclusions: The majority of children had a positive image of the dentist and dental treatment, and this perception was not associated with oral health-related quality of life. © 2018, European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.