Dental fear and anxiety among children and their caregivers

Abstract

Introduction: Dental treatment is an experience that elicits fear and anxiety in most people, and particularly in children. This fear is the first step to be overcome in the search for a satisfactory dentist-patient relationship. Aim: of this research was to assess fear and anxiety among children and their caregivers when faced with dental treatment and identify the main reasons behind these behaviors. Methodology: About 200 questionnaires consisting of nine multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question, to obtain additional information, were administered to male and female patients aged 4 to 13 years who were treated at a university pediatric dentistry clinic and to their respective caregivers. Results: show only one-third of children reported fear of the dentist. Pain, needles, and anesthesia were the main reasons behind their feelings of fear. Over 70% of interviewed children reported having experienced tooth pain at least once, which reinforces the importance of painful experiences as being associated with dental fear in a portion of these patients. Conclusion: that although dental fear was uncommon among caregivers, approximately one-third of children reported fear of the dentist, associated with perceived pain or needle phobia.