The child's voice: understanding the contexts of children and families today.

Children and families live and grow in a different social context than 15 years ago. The purpose of this report was to explore contemporary themes for improved contextual understanding of children and families today and their relationship to providing optimal pediatric dental care. Twelve themes were discussed using research studies and clinical expertise from the viewpoints of a pediatric psychologist and pediatrician. It was concluded that enhanced communication and partnership building improves comprehension and compliance with dental treatment. Furthermore, diagnosing the child and family within the immediate local context is central to developing and accomplishing an effective dental treatment plan.