Emotional Intelligence of Dental Practitioners and the Perceived Quality of Treatment Delivered to Pediatric Patients in Saudi Arabia

Background: The ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions as well as those of others is referred to as emotional intelligence (EI). Building a strong doctor-patient relationship is greatly aided by EI. More effective than those who conduct patient consultations in a strictly official manner are the clinicians who adopt a warm, friendly, and reassuring tone. Objective: The present study was conducted to assess EI of dental practitioners and the perceived quality of treatment delivered to pediatric patients with respect to their parents’ perspective in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A self-administered well-structured questionnaire, containing different questions reflecting EI of the dental practitioner, was asked from 416 parents of pediatric patients. It includes socio-demographic details; questions reflecting dentist’s behavior, skills, and treatment management given to the child (patient). EI score was recorded using “five-point-Likert-scale.” The responses to the questionnaire were randomly picked from various government hospitals and private clinical settings involving Saudi dental practitioners with different professional levels. The data collected was subjected to statistical analysis using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 software at a significance-level, P < 0.05. Results: Mean EI score was significantly ( P < 0.05) more in females (135.66); Saudi (133.98) dentists; and those working in Government (135.49) setups. A statistically significant relationship ( P < 0.05) was observed with respect to the recommendation of the dentist; and his communication skill with the EI score. EI scores were significantly ( P < 0.05) more in relation with understanding the diagnosis and oral hygiene instructions; motivation to continue the treatment; and visits to the same dentist. Mean EI scores were comparable in relation to different age groups, showing an insignificant statistical-difference ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Irrespective of position, dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia showed adequate EI levels for effective management of pediatric patients of all age groups.