Reviewing the parental standpoint about origin of the dental fear in children referred to dentistry centers of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND: Dental fear leads to lack of child cooperation. In general, without the patient's cooperation, success in remedy is impossible. This study aimed to evaluate parental view about the origins of the dental fear in children as well as their view about factors contributing to the prevention of child dental fear. METHODS: This was a cross sectional descriptive and analytical study which was carried out on 200 parents of children aged 6-12 years referred to dentistry center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The level of dental fear in these children was screened using Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). This questionnaire consisted of 15 questions and each question had a 5-point Likert-type Scale. Total scores ranged from 15 to 75. Based on the scores, children were divided into two groups: Group with low fear (score of 25 or less) and group with high fear (score of 37 or more). The parents were asked about the causes of their child's dental fear. RESULTS: There was an inverse significant correlation between the average score of fear and the age of the children. In the group with high fear, most of the parents (31%) had chosen previous dental experiences as the cause of their child's fear. There was no significant relationship between parental belief and their gender, the level of education, the level of their own dental fear and the child's age and fear score. CONCLUSIONS: According to the parent's standpoint, previous dental experience was a major factor in the development of childhood dental fear. Temperamental factors also played a major role in some of the fearful children. Most of the parents in group with high fear attributed their child's fear to the external factors and seemed they were unable to control and prevent it. Therefore, more attention should be given to the behavior and attitude of the parents as well as dentists in the future researches.