title: Everyday- and dental-pain experiences in healthy Swedish 8-19 year olds: an epidemiological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very little is known about children's everyday pains and dental treatment pains. A child's gender, age, and level of dental anxiety are factors that could interplay with the perception of pain and are thus worth studying.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to investigate the frequency and reported intensity levels of children's everyday- and dental-pain experiences, and to study the reported pains in relation to gender, age, and dental anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and sixty-eight consecutive patients (8-19 years, mean age 13.5 years) from three different Public Dental Service were recruited. Pain ratings were obtained using McGrath's Children's Pain Inventory list and some additional items. Dental anxiety was estimated by the Dental Anxiety Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most frequently experienced everyday pains were headache and tummy/stomach ache. Among dental treatment events, dental injection was reported to be most often ranked as painful, and more frequently by girls. Both dental and everyday pains were rated higher grouping children with high dental anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of pain experiences are the same in Swedish children as in other populations. There is a relation between dental anxiety and the perception of pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Odontology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krekmanova
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergius
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sabel
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hafström
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klingberg
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Berggren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003729:Dental Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult