Factors Associated with Dental Fear and Anxiety in Children Aged 7 to 9 Years.

Andreas Dahlander,Göran Dahllöf,Fernanda Soares,Margaret Grindefjord

doi:10.3390/dj7030068

Andreas Dahlander, Göran Dahllöf + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/dj7030068

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Abstract

The aim was to investigate changes in dental fear and anxiety (DFA) and verify factors associated with DFA in children. A longitudinal cohort study that included 160 children aged 7 years was carried out. A questionnaire was completed by parents at two time points and evaluated the immigrant background, maternal education, whether the child had ever had toothache, and whether the parents had dental fear. The oral clinical examination evaluated decayed, extracted, and filled primary teeth (deft). The children’s fear survey schedule dental subscale (CFSS-DS) was used to assess the dental fear of the children. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions analyses were used. The CFSS-DS found that 7% of the children had dental fear at age 7 and mean CFSS-DS was 22.9. At 9 years of age, 8% reported dental fear and the mean increased to 25.4. Parental dental fear, experience of toothache, and report of painful dental treatment and caries development between 7 and 9 years of age were factors that were significantly related to development of DFA. There was a change in DFA between 7 and 9 years of age. Dental fear and anxiety is a dynamic process in growing individuals and is significantly related to painful symptoms and experiences of dental care as well as parental dental fear.

Highlights

Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) is one of the major challenges in pediatric dentistry [1]
The dental health of the drop-outs is unknown, but of the examined variables, only parental dental fear was significantly higher in the drop-out group compared to those examined at nine years of age
From the children’s fear survey schedule-dental subscale (CFSS-DS), 7% of children at age seven suffered from DFA, with a mean CFSS-DS of 22.9 ± 6.9

Summary

Introduction

Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) is one of the major challenges in pediatric dentistry [1]. The prevalence is estimated to approximately 9% [2]. Using the children’s fear survey schedule-dental subscale (CFSS-DS), 6.7% of a Swedish sample were assessed as being fearful [3]. DFA is a common reason for avoiding dental treatment, which over time, may result in deteriorated oral health [4]. DFA among children has a complicated and multifactorial etiology [5]. Personal as well as environmental, contribute to the development of fear and anxiety in a dental care situation [6]

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Discussion

Conclusion