Evaluate the Perspective of the Concrete Operational Stage of Piaget\'s Theory and Its Correlation with Tell–Show–Do: A Comparative Study

Background: One of the most significant problems in pediatric dentistry is behavioral resistance from children during their first dental visit.Most children show variation in the rate of cognitive development when compared with their chronological age.This study utilizes Piaget's theory to identify the cognitive development of children and their segregation into logical thinkers and less logical thinkers, following which the tell-show-do technique was utilized to perform a restorative procedure on these groups.Aim: The study aims to evaluate the perspective of the concrete operational stage of Piaget's theory and its correlation with the tell-show-do technique.Materials and methods: This comparative study was conducted among 84 children whose ages varied from 7 to 10 years.Various characteristics specific to this age group, such as egocentrism, seriation, transitivity, reversibility, classification, and decentering, were assessed using interview questions.A comparison of the tell-show-do technique during a restorative procedure was carried out among the two groups, i.e., logical and less logical children, and behavior was observed at the first visit, during treatment, and after the treatment using the Venham Behavior Rating scale.Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups, i.e., logical and less logical groups.The logical thinkers were able to comprehend instructions to undergo the procedure, while the less logical children were anxious even after explaining the procedure using the tell-show-do technique. Conclusion:This study shows the effectiveness of the use of the tell-show-do technique on logical thinkers during dental treatment.