Oral health professions (dentists and dental hygienists) need to be realistic about how much cooperation they can expect from young children. Conducting an oral examination of a young child's teeth should be considered an achievement, and completing a cleaning or minor treatment should be looked upon as a major victory. Most young children will not cooperate with care; even if a child behaves well during an oral examination, he or she is unlikely to be able to handle the administration of local anesthesia and a procedure lasting more than a few minutes.

Young children have limited understanding of the world around them and are usually anxious in unfamiliar situations. Their fears are nature's protection against harm. Although some young children are relaxed and cooperative during examinations or treatment, typically, they are nervous and fearful.

A child's behavior can be a clue to how he or she will handle the dental experience and can help you make judgments about how much you may be able to accomplish with that child. A child playing independently in the waiting area is more likely to be cooperative than a child who clings to the parent. Two simple assessments that can help you predict whether the child will have a positive experience in the dental office are (1) whether the child will separate from their parent in the operatory and (2) whether the child will get into the dental chair.

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