An Analysis of Behavior Management Papers Published in the Pediatric Dental Literature

Purpose: Behavior management is considered a keystone entity in pediatric dentistry. The purpose of this article was to: (1) categorize behavior management literature primarily published in Pediatric Dentistry and the Journal of Dentistry for Children over the past 30 years to determine the quantity of survey, opinion, and clinical publication types; and (2) focus on the specific techniques of behavior management, sanctioned by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, to determine the extent of evidence-based support for the techniques.

Methods: A search of articles focusing on behavior management, but excluding sedation, was conducted of Pediatric Dentistry and the Journal of Dentistry for Children from 1970 to the present time. The publications were reviewed, data on authors, titles, and publication dates entered into a spreadsheet, and the publications divided into different types for analysis.

Results: One hundred sixty-eight articles were identified and used for analysis. The number of publications involving clinical studies was less than a third (30%) of the total number of articles identified, 38% were opinion papers, and 32% were surveys or descriptions of behavior management in the dental setting. The number of clinical studies peaked in the mid1980s, and surveys have increased over the past decade.

Conclusions: The evidence-based data to support a clinical science of the effectiveness of behavior management techniques in pediatric dentistry is limited and needs further development.