Comparative Insights into Parenting Style, Physiological, and Emotional Impacts of Preschool Dental Interventions: Sealants Versus Varnish – A Double-Blind, Parallel-group, and Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that results in the demineralization of dental hard tissues. Considering the high prevalence of active and untreated decay in young children, secondary prevention is important, including professional topical fluoride application and sealing occlusal surfaces. Parental behavior and parenting style can influence a child’s emotional response, dental anxiety (DA), cooperativeness, and perception of pain during dental procedures. Assessing parenting style in conjunction with DA offers insight into caregiver factors that may influence a child’s response to preventive interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to compare parenting style with DA, associated pain, and physiological parameters during interventions using fissure sealant versus topical fluoride varnish in preschool children. Materials and Methods: A double-blind, parallel-group, and randomized controlled trial was conducted over 2 months. Eighty children aged 3–6 years were randomly allocated into two groups: Group A – Glass Ionomer Sealant (GIS) and Group B – Sodium Fluoride Varnish (NaFV). Parameters assessed before and after intervention included DA (Frankl Behavior Rating Scale), dental cooperativeness (Venham Behavior Rating Scale), pain (Wong–Baker Faces Scale), physiological measures (pulse rate and SpO₂), and parenting style (Primary Caregiver Practices Report). Results: Postintervention scores for DA, cooperativeness, and pain showed no statistically significant differences between GIS and NAFV groups, along with similar results in the physiological parameters group. Parenting style provided contextual insight into child behavior but did not significantly influence outcomes. Conclusion: Both fissure sealants and fluoride varnish are comparable in their impact on DA, cooperativeness, pain, and physiological responses in preschool children.