An evaluation of the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health in children based on maternal dental anxiety

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to understand the causes of dental anxiety that prevent optimal treatment in pediatric dental clinics and to examine the relationship between the child's dental anxiety level and the dental anxiety level of his or her parents. It also aimed to understand how the oral health of children whose parents have dental anxiety is affected by their parents’ feelings.

Methodology: This study was conducted by evaluating the answers given to the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) questionnaire, which was applied to 248 children without mental or developmental retardation who consulted the Dicle University, Faculty of Dentistry between January and October 2020. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire was applied to their parents. In addition, dmft+DMFT scores were determined by performing oral examinations on the children.

Results: While a statistically significant relationship was found between the dental anxiety levels of the 248 children included in our study and the dental anxiety levels of their mothers, no significant relationship was found between the dental anxiety levels of their fathers and those of the children. Those children whose mothers had high dental anxiety scores had higher dmft+DMFT scores, compared to others involved in the survey. The dmft+DMFT scores of the children with high dental anxiety were found to be higher than those of other children.

Conclusion: Parents, especially mothers, play an important role in the development of children’s dental anxiety. The fact that parents with dental anxiety often avoid taking their children to the dentist prevents necessary treatments from being performed on time and causes the children’s oral health to deteriorate over time. Informing parents about reducing dental anxiety and dentists’ efforts to teach coping strategies can be helpful for minimizing the impact of parents' dental concerns on their children. By increasing mothers’ awareness of oral and dental health, it can be ensured that both they and their children will benefit more from dentistry services.

How to cite this article: Çelenk S, Kol Ş. An evaluation of the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health in children based on maternal dental anxiety. Int Dent Res 2021;11(Suppl.1):86-90. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2021.vol11.suppl1.14

Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.