Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist

Objective: To analyze the factors that influence parents’/guardians’ gender preference, confidence level, and empathy level in the dentist treating their child, as well as the factors associated with parents’/guardians’ preference for the dentist's gender identification. Material and Methods:...

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Main Authors: Gabrielle Carvalho, Ivana Meyer Prado, Larissa Kelen Moura, Yanna Cardoso-Santos, Talyta Couto Freitas, Raquel Fabiane Nogueira, Iga Carnevalli, Junia Maria Serra-Negra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association of Support to Oral Health Research (APESB) 2025-02-01
Series:Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada
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Online Access:https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/4285
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author Gabrielle Carvalho
Ivana Meyer Prado
Larissa Kelen Moura
Yanna Cardoso-Santos
Talyta Couto Freitas
Raquel Fabiane Nogueira
Iga Carnevalli
Junia Maria Serra-Negra
author_facet Gabrielle Carvalho
Ivana Meyer Prado
Larissa Kelen Moura
Yanna Cardoso-Santos
Talyta Couto Freitas
Raquel Fabiane Nogueira
Iga Carnevalli
Junia Maria Serra-Negra
author_sort Gabrielle Carvalho
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To analyze the factors that influence parents’/guardians’ gender preference, confidence level, and empathy level in the dentist treating their child, as well as the factors associated with parents’/guardians’ preference for the dentist's gender identification. Material and Methods: A total of 104 parents/guardians of patients from the pediatric dental clinic of a Brazilian University participated in this cross-sectional study. Data collection occurred in the clinical waiting room by applying a questionnaire about sociodemographic information, characteristics of the dentist that most caught parents’/guardians’ attention, whether the child’s dentist’s gender identification matters to parents’/guardians’, and analog scales designed by the research team gauging preferences in dentist's gender, confidence level and empathy level in their child’s dentist. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests (p<0.05). Results: Most participants were female (74%) and mothers of patients (63.5%). The proportion of parents/guardians lacking confidence about their child's dentist was higher among those who considered the dentist’s gender identification significant (p=0.045). The empathy scores of parents/guardians toward their child's dentist were higher among female parents/guardians (p=0.012). Parents/guardians who reported caring about the dentist’s gender identification had lower preference scores for an LGBTQ+ dentist (p=0.018). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the preference for female or male dentists. A low preference for LGBTQ+ dentists was observed among parents/guardians, demonstrating homophobic behavior.
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1983-4632
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spelling doaj-art-3fa6718fe7464a1f93b38d0801b33aac2025-02-05T10:26:38ZengAssociation of Support to Oral Health Research (APESB)Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada1519-05011983-46322025-02-0125Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s DentistGabrielle CarvalhoIvana Meyer PradoLarissa Kelen MouraYanna Cardoso-SantosTalyta Couto FreitasRaquel Fabiane NogueiraIga CarnevalliJunia Maria Serra-Negra Objective: To analyze the factors that influence parents’/guardians’ gender preference, confidence level, and empathy level in the dentist treating their child, as well as the factors associated with parents’/guardians’ preference for the dentist's gender identification. Material and Methods: A total of 104 parents/guardians of patients from the pediatric dental clinic of a Brazilian University participated in this cross-sectional study. Data collection occurred in the clinical waiting room by applying a questionnaire about sociodemographic information, characteristics of the dentist that most caught parents’/guardians’ attention, whether the child’s dentist’s gender identification matters to parents’/guardians’, and analog scales designed by the research team gauging preferences in dentist's gender, confidence level and empathy level in their child’s dentist. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests (p<0.05). Results: Most participants were female (74%) and mothers of patients (63.5%). The proportion of parents/guardians lacking confidence about their child's dentist was higher among those who considered the dentist’s gender identification significant (p=0.045). The empathy scores of parents/guardians toward their child's dentist were higher among female parents/guardians (p=0.012). Parents/guardians who reported caring about the dentist’s gender identification had lower preference scores for an LGBTQ+ dentist (p=0.018). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the preference for female or male dentists. A low preference for LGBTQ+ dentists was observed among parents/guardians, demonstrating homophobic behavior. https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/4285Dental CareHomophobiaSexual and Gender MinoritiesProfessional-Patient Relations
spellingShingle Gabrielle Carvalho
Ivana Meyer Prado
Larissa Kelen Moura
Yanna Cardoso-Santos
Talyta Couto Freitas
Raquel Fabiane Nogueira
Iga Carnevalli
Junia Maria Serra-Negra
Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada
Dental Care
Homophobia
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Professional-Patient Relations
title Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
title_full Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
title_fullStr Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
title_full_unstemmed Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
title_short Parents/Guardians’ Gender Preferences, Confidence, and Empathy for their Children’s Dentist
title_sort parents guardians gender preferences confidence and empathy for their children s dentist
topic Dental Care
Homophobia
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Professional-Patient Relations
url https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/4285
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