title: Prevalence of dental anxiety and behavior management problems among six to eight years old Danish children.
abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dental anxiety among 6 to 8-year-old Danish children using the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and behavior management problems. The study was designed as a population-based cross-sectional survey of children attending the municipal dental service in four municipalities in the county of North Jutland, Denmark. In 2001, the CFSS-DS questionnaire was mailed to the parents of all children born in 1993, 1994, and 1995 (parents of 1666 children) in 4 municipalities. Data on behavior management problems were collected from the children's dental records held by the municipal dental service. Questionnaires were returned from 1281 (76.9%) parents. The prevalence of dental anxiety (i.e. CFSS-DS > or = 38) was 5.7% (95% CI: 4.6% 7.1%), and the median CFSS-DS score was 22 (1st quartile 19; 3rd quartile 27). A history of behavior management problems was observed in 37.2% (95% CI: 33.3%-41.1%) of all children who had had dental treatment, but more often in children with dental anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, Dental School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wogelius
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: H Toft
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence