The influence of baby language in pediatric dental procedures: A scoping review

Iasmin Pedrotti Leme de Andrade¹ image, Victor Cavallaro Bottesini2 image, Beatriz Ribeiro Perrone3 image, Danilo Antonio Duarte4 image

Highlights

Pediatric dentists face challenges in
interpreting infant communication,
which is essential for effective
management and building trust.

Mothers act as crucial intermediaries, translating their  infants’ communication cues to  support pediatric dental care.

Understanding child language, whether through professionals or with mothers’ help, is key to better care and a more welcoming setting.

Abstract

Contemporary pediatric dentistry recommends initiating dental consultations at birth to enable continuous monitoring of oral development and the implementation of preventive measures when necessary. In consultations involving newborns and infants, direct  communication between  healthcare professionals and patients is inherently limited or absent. Given the critical role of effective communication in clinical care, this scoping review aims to map and synthesize existing scientific knowledge on pediatric dentists’ understanding of infant communication. A  omprehensive search of scientific databases was conducted using predefined keywords, yielding 16 articles. Following screening for relevance, eligibility, and inclusion criteria, four studies were selected for final analysis. The findings  indicate that pediatric dentists frequently encounter challenges in interpreting the communicative behaviors of newborns. Additionally, the literature  ighlights the pivotal role of mothers as intermediaries in this communication process, thereby offering valuable insights to enhance and facilitate pediatric dental care practices.

Keywords: Infant; Pediatric Dentistry; Scoping Review; Speech Perception

Author Affiliations

  1. Undergraduated Student,  Department of Pediatric Dentistry, APCD School of Dentistry (FAOA), Brazil (Correspondence:iasminpedrotti@hotmail.com)
  2. PhD Student, Department of Restorative Dentistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil
  3. DDS, PhD, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, APCD School of Dentistry (FAOA), Brazil
  4. DDS, PhD, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, APCD School of Dentistry (FAOA), Brazil

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Article Info

Contemp Pediatr Dent 2025:6(1):2-10

Received: 08 October 2024

Accepted: 25 February 2025

Online First: 26 April 2025

DOI: 10.51463/cpd.2024.53

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					Iasmin Pedrotti Leme de Andrade, Victor Cavallaro Bottesini, Beatriz Ribeiro Perrone, Danilo Antonio Duarte. The influence of baby language in pediatric dental procedures: A scoping review. Contemp Pediatr Dent 2025:6(1):2-10.

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