Phlebotomy for obtaining platelet-rich fibrin autograft in children for pediatric dental procedures: Parental views, understanding, and acceptance.

Background: The negative perception of parents toward invasive dental procedures has always created a barrier in delivering successful treatment to pediatric patients. Surprisingly, little is known about the perspective of parents and the impact of demographic and psychological factors guiding their decision.

Aim: To evaluate the acceptability of phlebotomy for obtaining platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to be used in pediatric endodontic procedures among parents of children.

Design: A cross-sectional study design was used for the survey. The design involved interviewing the parents of children aged 3 to 14 years, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were indicated for regenerative pulp therapy using PRF.

Materials And Method: The sample included one hundred and fifty shortlisted parents who were made to answer questionnaires on sociodemographic data and psychological variables. A single pediatric dentist educated the parents individually on the procedure, risks, and benefits of PRF, following which parental consent and views were recorded in the developed performa.

Results: Consent of 63.3% was recorded at the end of the study. Parenting pattern and parental dental anxiety were found to have significant correlation with the treatment acceptance.

Conclusion: It is the responsibility of the pediatric dentist to communicate the treatment strategies in a manner that is acceptable to the parents for which a thorough knowledge about parental factors is necessary. This study helps in identifying such factors and highlights the importance of demonstration aids in parental education and motivation.