Prevalence of Dental Fear and Anxiety and Its Triggering Factors in the Dental Office among School-going Children in Al Ahsa

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of dental fear and anxiety (DFA) among school-going children in Al Ahsa. To identify the factors that trigger DFA in the dental office. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted. Eight hundred and sixteen, 7–12-year-old children studying in government and private schools spread across the city of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. A self-reported questionnaire with 15 close-ended questions pertaining to DFA in logical order was distributed to all the participants. Each question had three options as responses with images. The children were asked to choose the option that best fitted their response. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DFA among boys and girls was found to be 50.4 and 71.28%, respectively. The majority of the boys studying in government schools reported DFA when informed about the treatment in advance, while most of those studying in private schools reported DFA at the sight of the dental chair and dental injections, while walking into the clinic, in the waiting room, when informed about the treatment in advance and their tooth being drilled. On the contrary, the responses were very similar among girls irrespective of their school. Most of the boys and girls did not experience any DFA when their parents were allowed to accompany them. Hence, a tailor-made approach for the management of the child in the dental office is warranted. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A tailor-made approach for the management of DFA in the dental office plays a significant role in successful treatment. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Alshuaibi AF, Aldarwish M, Almulhim AN, et al. Prevalence of Dental Fear and Anxiety and Its Triggering Factors in the Dental Office among School-going Children in Al Ahsa. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(2):286–292.