behavior guidance C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 9 , Nº 1 0
C.E. Credit
The Millennial Family: Adapting Behavior Guidance to Contemporary Parenting Adi A. Genish, DDS, and Clarice Law, DMD, MS
abstract Understanding the parent/child dynamic is important in the delivery of person-centered dental care to the child. However, the nature of parenting has changed and understanding of child development has continued to develop, affecting the ability of dentists to influence child behavior. The purpose of this paper is to review generational differences, the impact of parenting on child development and changes in approval of behavior guidance techniques to propose new approaches to child behavior. Keywords: Generational differences, behavior guidance, behavior guidance techniques, parenting, interpersonal neurobiology, affective neuroscience
AUTHORS Adi A. Genish, DDS, is a health sciences assistant clinical professor in the section of pediatric dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry. She is actively involved in the predoctoral pediatric dentistry program at UCLA and is board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
Clarice Law, DMD, MS, is a health sciences clinical professor in the sections of pediatric dentistry and orthodontics at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry. She is the acting chair of the section of orthodontics and is actively involved in graduate education in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Board of Orthodontics. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
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he millennial generation is defined by the Pew Research Center as the cohort of individuals who are now between the ages of 25 and 40.1 It is possibly the most studied generation and has been mostly maligned in popular media, with attention drawn by book titles such as “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy” and “Generation Me” and with memes and videos focusing on perceived shortcomings. The millennial generation has now reached the life stage where parenting and family life become important and is now poised to become the dominant proportion of caregivers for children in the dental setting. Studies indicate that family life is different within the millennial generation in terms of marriage status, living arrangements and a host of other factors.1
Understanding this changing dynamic is essential to success in the emerging person-centered model of dental care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry discusses the importance of parental influence: “Positive attitudes toward oral health care may lead to the early establishment of a dental home. Early preventive care leads to less dental disease, decreased treatment needs and fewer opportunities for negative experiences.”2 The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes how patientand family-centered care can improve outcomes by improving the patient’s and family’s experience and increasing satisfaction. Notable side benefits are an increase in professional satisfaction and more effective use of health care resources.3 The American Dental O C TOBER 2 0 2 1
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