Abstract
Current data report that high levels of dental anxiety in children have a negative impact on oral health. The aim of this study was to measure dental anxiety, based on the Abeer Children Dental Anxiety Scale (ACDAS) used as a self-reported measure and to correlate its values with the salivary cortisol levels. The study was conducted in 2019 and included 389 children aged 6–9 years old; evaluation of dental anxiety and saliva sampling were performed. The influence of gender on the presence of dental anxiety was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, the salivary cortisol level was compared between anxious and non-anxious children and was further correlated with the ACDAS score (p < 0.05). Girls had higher odds of experiencing dental anxiety (odds ratio: 1.533, p = 0.041). Salivary cortisol levels were higher in anxious compared to non-anxious children (median 1.251 vs. 1.091 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and showed a positive moderate correlation with the ACDAS score (r = 0.411, p < 0.001). Children aged 6–9 years have a high prevalence of dental anxiety, with girls being more susceptible to this condition. Salivary cortisol levels are higher in anxious children and correlate positively with the ACDAS score, proving that ACDAS can be used for the detection of dental anxiety.
Highlights
Dental anxiety has been recognized as a common condition that develops mostly during childhood and adolescence, being reported in 20–50% of cases
It is considered a behavioral disturbance with a variable nature, ranging from fears or phobias related to dental stimuli, such as needles or drilling, to a generalized anxiety frequently associated with the dental clinic environment [1,2]
Scientific have dental established children experience a highitlevel anxiety havewith a greater of data untreated lesionsthat who experience a high of dental anxiety have aas greater number of untreated dental lesions
Summary
Dental anxiety has been recognized as a common condition that develops mostly during childhood and adolescence, being reported in 20–50% of cases. It is considered a behavioral disturbance with a variable nature, ranging from fears or phobias related to dental stimuli, such as needles or drilling, to a generalized anxiety frequently associated with the dental clinic environment [1,2]. Children with high levels of dental anxiety were reported to have more decayed, missing and filled teeth, which led to the recognition of this condition as a negative factor with major implications on the oral health status. The evaluation of an anxiety state based on objective measures is very important, as clinical observations alone proved to be unreliable, with poor to moderate agreement between the Children 2020, 7, 158; doi:10.3390/children7100158 www.mdpi.com/journal/children
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