الفهرس 
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Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to detect psychological attributes of children seeking dental treatment
for the first time using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, and to test the association between
these attributes and children’s cooperation level.
Methodology: The study was conducted on 128 children aged between 4 to 7 years attending
the outpatient Pediatric Dentistry clinic for their first time. Parents were asked to answer the SDQ,
then a simple restorative treatment under local anesthesia was performed for children to evaluate their
behavior using Frankl Behavior Rating Scale. Statistical analysis used in this study chi-square test to
analyze categorical data, and Spearman test to detect the correlation between variables.
Results: Emotional and conduct problems were the most prevalent by a percentage of 22.7% and 20% respectively. About 19.5% of our sample were categorized as psychologically abnormal, a strong correlation was detected between the total difficulty score and children’s cooperation level.
Conclusions: Psychological problems are common among children aged between 4 to 7 years and they also affect their dental behavior. As SDQ succeeded in prediction of child behavior, the dentist can easily formulate a proper behavior guidance plan for dental treatment.