Children's perceptions of dentists

The image of the dental surgeon in children's minds is often related to a sadistic being, who destroys and attacks. This is due to the fact that family members and people close to them have passed on negative information about dental care, the representations of the professional in the media and the arts, and the particular experiences of each child. Understanding children's perceptions of the dental surgeon is an important piece of information for ascertaining how they perceive and experience dentistry. The aim of this study was to assess the perception of schoolchildren aged between 5 and 12 of the dentist through the interpretation of drawings.