title: Association between childhood dental experiences and dental fear among dental, psychology and mathematics undergraduates in Brazil.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between childhood dental experiences and dental fear in adulthood among dentistry, psychology and mathematics undergraduate students. A cross-sectional study of 1,256 students from the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, was performed. Students responded to the Brazilian version of the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) and a questionnaire regarding previous dental experiences. Both the DFS and the questionnaire were self-administered. Association was tested using descriptive, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analysis, with a 5% significance level. Dentistry undergraduates reported lower scores than psychology (p < 0.001) and mathematics undergraduates (p < 0.05) for all three dimensions of the DFS. Negative dental experiences in childhood was associated with dimensions of Avoidance (B = 2.70, p < 0.001), Physiological arousal (B = 1.42, p < 0.001) and Fears of specific stimuli/situations (B = 3.44, p < 0.001). The reason for first visit to dentist was associated with dimensions of Physiological arousal (B = 0.76, p < 0.01) and Fears of specific stimuli/situations (B = 1.29, p < 0.01). Dentists should be encouraged to evaluate the dental fear of their patients before treatment. The DFS has been found to be an effective instrument for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha Campus, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil. mauricioliveira14@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Maurício A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Cristiane B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bendo
authors.forename: Meire C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Saul M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Miriam P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: Júnia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serra-Negra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult