ArticleEuropean archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry2026
Social representations of dentist and dental treatment in children's animated cartoons.
Article in European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposeDentists and dental treatment have been portrayed negatively in many forms of media. The purpose of this study was to assess social representations of dentist and dental treatment in children's animated cartoons.
methodsA qualitative content analysis was conducted. Animated cartoons from 2000 onward portraying dentists or dental settings were identified via IMDb (search conducted in March 2025) and Google searches. Content analysis was conducted by two trained evaluators who independently assessed episodes (n = 18) using predefined criteria. Each reference to dental treatment (verbal, visual, or narrative) was recorded and classified as positive, negative, or neutral.
resultsWhilst some animated cartoons depicted dentists or dental visits negatively, highlighting fear, discomfort, or avoidance, most conveyed positive messages emphasising oral health. Dentists are most commonly portrayed by white male characters. Occasionally, dental tools and clinical environments were exaggerated, potentially reinforcing dental fear, but many cartoons showed friendly dentists and promoted prevention.
conclusionDespite some persistent stereotypes, children's cartoons often stress the importance of oral health and may influence children's perceptions of dental care.
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