Reducing child uncooperative behavior during dental treatment through modeling and reinforcement

Abstract

The uncooperative behavior of grade-school children during dental treatment was examined. Forty children enrolled in a government dental program were observed during treatment conditions involving instructions concerning the appropriate behavior required by the dental practitioner, description of the objective procedures and subjective experience the child could expect, praise for appropriate behavior, and a colorful stamp for coming to the clinic. Eight of these children whose behavior was still too disruptive for effective dentistry were formally introduced to additional intervention procedures of tangible consequences for cooperative behavior, and observation of peers and by peers during actual dental treatment. Within a multiple baseline design, the intervention conditions were effective in decreasing the children's uncooperative behavior to acceptable levels.