Abstract
Background and Aim: This study assessed dental services provided to children by general dental practitioners in Isfahan and explored factors influencing referrals to pe-diatric dentists.
Materials and Methods: Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional study surveyed 252 general dental practitioners in Isfahan. An electronically administered, validated researcher-made questionnaire collected data on demographics, pediatric dental services, reasons for non-provision, and referral determinants. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-squared tests (α=0.05). P-values less than 0.05 will consider statistically significant.
Results: Of the participants, 121 (48%) were female, with an overall mean age of 31.33±6.79 years. Seventy-five percent of general dental practitioners provided dental treatments to children, with a preference for those aged 6-14. Inadequate proficiency in pediatric dentistry emerged as the primary reason for non-provision. Commonly of-fered services included fissure sealant therapy (58.3%) for permanent teeth in preven-tive care, tell-show-do technique (55.2%) in behavior management, amalgam restora-tion of permanent teeth (66.3%) in restorative services, and direct pulp capping of permanent teeth (41.3%) in pulp therapy. Trauma management and space maintenance services were less frequently provided. Key factors influencing referrals included the specialist's reputation (20.8%) and their ability to handle patients effectively (16.6%).
Conclusion: The study reveals that three-fourths of general dental practitioners in Is-fahan extend dental services to children. Notably, referrals were significantly influenced by the reputation and patient-handling proficiency of pediatric dentists. In light of these findings, implementation of continuous education programs aiming at augmenting the knowledge and skills of general dental practitioners in the field of pe-diatric dentistry is recommended.