Practice Management
Jesslyn White, DDS
Pediatric Dental Resident
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
University of Southern California
Manhattan Beach, California, United States
Alexander Alcaraz, DMD
Program Director, Advanced Pediatric Dentistry
University of Southern California, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
Los Angeles, California, United States
Purpose: This research study aims to evaluate parent and child preferences of their pediatric dentist with regards to the provider’s attire and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study using survey methodology with patients aged 7-17 years old and their parents that attended the Children’s Dental Health Clinic of Miller Children’s Hospital and the USC Pediatric Dental Clinic. Parents and their children completed separate questionnaires that included photos of two male and female dentists wearing various combinations of attire (white coat, scrubs, business casual, surgical gown) and PPE (surgical mask, eyewear, hair protection, face shield, N95 respirator, loupes).
Results: Preliminary data shows the majority of children and their parents prefer dentists wearing scrubs and surgical gowns, respectively, and minimal PPE. Business casual attire and no PPE was least preferred. A trend demonstrates that children prefer dentists of the same gender as themselves.
Conclusions: Final conclusions are pending complete data collection and statistical analysis.