The Correlation between Children’s Intelligence Quotient and Their Behavior in Dental Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Children with high intelligence quotient (IQ) are more capable of managing adverse situations. These children may show more cooperation to receive dental treatments. This study assessed the effect of intelligence quotient (IQ) of 5-10-year-old children on their cooperation during dental treatments. Eighty children without previous dental history and in need of pulpotomy and stainless steel crowns in one tooth were selected. A written consent was obtained from the parents, and after the children’s IQ was measured by Raven intelligence test, the treatments were performed and their cooperation level was determined using Frankl’s behavior rating scale with rating 1 to rating 4 (definitely negative, negative, positive, and definitely positive). In this cross-sectional study, the relationship between IQ and cooperation level was analyzed by one-way ANOVA test while the effect of age and gender on IQ and cooperation level was studied by ordinal regression test. Out of the total samples, 5% had definitely negative, 16.2% had negative, 56.3% had positive, and 22.5% had definitely positive level of cooperation according to Frankl criteria. There was a significant and positive correlation between IQ and level of cooperation ( $r=0.87$ , $p<0.001$ ). According to the results of the linear regression analysis, to examine the effect of age, sex, and IQ variables on cooperation, children’s age ( $p$ value = 0.003) had a positive effect on their cooperation, but gender had no effect on predicting IQ and cooperation level ( $p$ value = 0.557). Regarding significant relationship between IQ scores and cooperation level, dentists can predict cooperation in pediatric patients to deliver better treatments and increase patients’ satisfaction.