Social Representations of Children in Relation to the Image of the Dentist

Abstract Objective: To identify the social representations of children in relation to the image of the dentist. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with quantitative-qualitative approach. The sample consisted of 80 children of both sexes aged 7-10 years attended at a clinic-school of a university in eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. For data collection, the Test of Free Words Association (TALP) was used, with the word "dentist" as its inducing theme. The four items included in the research instrument were: 1) evoke up to five words or expressions related to the dent...