Students' perception of protective stabilization of pediatric dental patients: a qualitative study.

Protective stabilization (PS) has been utilized to safely perform examinations, make diagnoses and/or provide limited treatment of short duration to uncooperative children. The literature supports PS as an alternative technique when behavior management strategies are not sufficient to enable oral care. The use of PS in pediatric dentistry can be traumatic for patients, parents and the medical team and has sometimes been described as being non-compliant with standards of care.