Children’s preferences towards paediatric dentists’ appearance, dental clinic design, and their relationship with dental anxiety

Purpose: A child’s initial impressions of their paediatric dentist play a critical role in the development of trust and compliance during dental appointments. This study aimed to determine children’s preferences for age, gender, and attire of a paediatric dentist, dental clinic design, and their association with dental anxiety. Methods: Among 855 children, 320 between 6 and 14 years old were eligible to participate in the study. Participants completed a digital questionnaire displaying photos of four paediatric dentists, three attires, two waiting areas, and two clinical setups, selecting one preferred option in each category. Children’s dental anxiety was assessed using the RMS Pictorial Child Dental Anxiety Scale. Group comparisons and associations between variables were analysed using the chi-square test, with a p value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Children showed a clear preference for young dentists, particularly those matching their own gender. White-coat attire was favoured by 50% of participants, while 58.4% preferred a colourful waiting area. A clinical setup featuring a television was preferred by 75.6% of the children. Anxious children demonstrated a significant preference for young female dentists (p = 0.006). Among anxious children aged 9–11 years, a colourful waiting area was preferred (p = 0.025). Conclusions: Children preferred a young dentist of their respective gender, with a preference for the white coat attire and colourful waiting area and clinic setup. Addressing children’s preferences will help assign them to their preferred pediatric dentist and clinic setup, potentially resulting in increased comfort and reduced dental anxiety for the child.