title: Dental Fear and Concomitant Factors in 3-6 Year-old Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dental fear/anxiety as a barrier in accessing oral health care is poorly investigated in Iranian children. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of dental fear and behavior management problems, as well as to examine the relationship between dental fear/anxiety and probable concomitant factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of 200 children aged 3-6 were participated in this descriptive-analytic study, and completed the CFSS-DS, SDQ, Chora and Spielberger questionnaires for both child and parents' general and dental anxiety in this descriptive- analytic study. Behavior was evaluated according to Frankl scale. Statistical approaches included T-test, chi-sq, and Pearson Linear correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score of dental fear was 32.15 ± 10 and the prevalence was 22.2%. Significant correlations were found between child's dental fear, general fear and behavior management problems; however, no relationship was found between child's dental fear and parental dental or general fear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to results of this study dental fear/anxiety seems to be more conditional and related to child's temperament than parental impact. Parental evaluation of dental fear can be used as a predictor of child's dental behavior.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Katayoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kousha
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anissian
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shahabi