Frequent exposure to invasive medical care in early childhood and operative dental treatment associated with dental apprehension of children at 9 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
This was to study prospectively a cohort of children as to whether behaviour at a 3-year examination, exposure to medical care and operative dental treatment are associated with each other, and with the level of dental apprehension at 9 years of age.


METHODS
Data were collected at three subsequent dental examinations of 126 children (67 boys, 59 girls). Cooperation, general health condition and operative dental treatment during the preceding 3 years were obtained at dental examinations with 3-year intervals, i.e. at 3, 6 and 9 years of age. Children's dental apprehension was assessed at the age of 9 years. The data were analysed using an ordinal logistic regression model.


RESULTS
Dental apprehension at 9 years of age was associated with frequent exposure to invasive medical care (p<0.001) and past experience of operative dental care (p<0.002), but not with cooperation at 3 years of age (p=0.124).


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent invasive medical care in early childhood and operative dental treatment, tooth extractions in particular, are associated with dental apprehension at 9 years of age.
Karjalainen
S
S
Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland.
Olak
J
J
Söderling
E
E
Pienihäkkinen
K
K
Simell
O
O
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology