Observation and interpretation of the child dental patient's behavior.

The dentist who treats children needs to be proficient at observing and analyzing child behavior. Skill in observation and analysis of child behavior is enhanced by experience, the ability to assess the nonverbal aspects of communication, a knowledge of children's fears and anxieties toward the dental situation, and by the social-cultural and personal aspects of child behavior. The dentist who can successfully integrate the information gained from observed child behavior with the personal, social, and historical information acquired from a parental interview may more accurately predict a child's behavior and then select the best method of managing that behavior during the clinical experience. The information gained by observing child behavior is more likely to be accurate if a systematic technique is used. The dentist should avoid a quick assessment of behavior or the assignment of "everyone knows" interpretations. The analysis of the observed behavior should be consistent with the information and conclusions of the parental interview.