Factors affecting dental fear in French children aged 5-12 years.
BACKGROUND
While dental anxiety is often correlated with prior negative dental experience, prevention of dental anxiety should in theory include early exposure to the dental setting.


OBJECTIVE
We set out to evaluate factors affecting dental fear in French children.


METHODS
Dental fear was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (DF-VAS) in a group of 1303 French children (681 boys and 622 girls) aged 5-11 years (mean: 8.12 years, SD: 1.42 years). Indicators of caries and oral hygiene were evaluated on dental examination. Indicators of well-being related to oral health, dental experience, and oral health education were collected via a structured interview.


RESULTS
Dental fear was scored low in 75.7% (DF-VAS 0-3), moderate in 16.7% (DF-VAS 4-6), and high in 7.6% (DF-VAS 7-10). DF-VAS decreased statistically with experience of a prior dental visit. Children who had at least one decayed tooth presented a higher level of dental fear than those with no decay, while children with fillings were significantly less anxious than those without previous dental care.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that for children aged 5-12 years, prior experience of the dental setting can act as a positive component of dental fear.
Nicolas
Emmanuel
E
CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service d'Odontologie, Hôtel-Dieu, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Bessadet
Marion
M
Collado
Valérie
V
Carrasco
Pilar
P
Rogerleroi
Valérie
V
Hennequin
Martine
M
D001362:Avoidance Learning; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009341:Negativism; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014098:Toothache