Dental Fear and Concomitant Factors in 3-6 Year-old Children

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dental fear/anxiety as a barrier in accessing oral health care is poorly investigated in Iranian children. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of dental fear and behavior management problems, as well as to examine the relationship between dental fear/anxiety and probable concomitant factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mothers of 200 children aged 3-6 were participated in this descriptive-analytic study, and completed the CFSS-DS, SDQ, Chora and Spielberger questionnaires for both child and parents’ general and dental anxiety in this descriptive- analytic study. Behavior was evaluated according to Frankl scale. Statistical approaches included T-test, chi-sq, and Pearson Linear correlation. RESULTS: The mean score of dental fear was 32.15 ± 10 and the prevalence was 22.2%. Significant correlations were found between child’s dental fear, general fear and behavior management problems; however, no relationship was found between child’s dental fear and parental dental or general fear. CONCLUSION: According to results of this study dental fear/anxiety seems to be more conditional and related to child’s temperament than parental impact. Parental evaluation of dental fear can be used as a predictor of child’s dental behavior.