Child Development

Child Development

1. Attachment

   • Attachment "phases" (c'wise)
     • Pre-attachment phase (0-6 weeks)
     • Attachment in making phase (6 weeks to 6/8 months)
     • Established attachment (6/8 months to 18/24 months)
     • Reciprocal relationship formed (18/24 months)
   • Primary attachment figure
     • Usually the mother
     • Can be multiple attachments such as inanimate objects (bottles, thumbs, dummies - malocclusal causes)

2. BIG reliance on visual stimuli

3. Piaget's theory of cognitive development

   • Stage 1 - sensorimotor - (birth - 2 years)
     • The phase where a child's experience of its environment is based off of sensory experience and the child tends to react with a simple response such as crying.
     • At 3-4 months infants smile more at familiar faces but NOT disturbed by strangers. 1st birthday is age for attending dentist - early acclimisation
     • 7-12 months - dislike strangers
     • 6-7 months teeth begin erupting therefore parents must be brushing teeth + educated about bottle caries
   • Stage 2 - Pre-operational - (2 years - 7 years)
     • Present benefits > Future benefits (lack of insight into future) - therefore short term rewards more beneficial
     • Visual cues should be used - e.g. the big teeth models + mirrors
       • Visual rewards - stickers , star charts etc
     • (Tell | Show | Do) - familiarisation for child so environment is predictable and does not disturb them
     • Use parents as a persuasive power to reinforce good oral hygiene for children
   • Stage 4 - Formal operational - (12 years+)
     • More adult way of thinking is established (generally) - can reason and set goals with child
     • Diet, Appearance of teeth, Toothbrushing, Smoking Cessation - duty of care
     • Media has big role in their perception on dental treatment - aesthetics - ETHICAL issues
     • Higher risk of DNA's as parents may give responsibility of attending/booking to adolescent
   • Stage 3 - Concrete operational - (7 years - 12 years)
     • Parents may not have to accompany child in surgery for whole visit
     • Independent brushing should be followed as manual dexterity will be at sufficient level
       • In relation to this, brushing frequency and sugar consumption reduction can be reinforced
     • Brushing tends to decrease in children at this age, especially boys.
     • Still have a limited idea of health and oral hygiene benefits
     • Children begin to reason/think more logically
     • Give lots of praise - reinforcer for visiting. Visual rewards such as stickers still appropriate.

4. Difficult cases

   • Reward good behaviour, not bad behaviour
   • TELL them that you are impressed by good behaviour - generally don't pick up on non-verbal communication

5. Parenting styles

   • Authoritarian
     • Strict rules | Punishments | Not much affection | Lack of autonomy
   • Permissive
     • Child controls relationship | Parents seen more like friends
   • Democratic
     • Mixture of permissive and authoritarian | Child respects parent | Child understands punishment and rules