title: Dental anxiety in children with cleft lip and palate: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the level of dental fear and anxiety of children who have cleft lip and palate (CLP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at Cukurova University, Faculty of Dentistry. A total of 32 7- to 12-yearold children, 17 of them with CLP (8 girls and 9 boys) and 15 of them without CLP (7 girls and 8 boys) participated in the study. The children were evaluated by using the Facial Image Scale (FIS) and Dental Subscale of Children's Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS) methods. The anxiety state of the children was assessed twice using FIS: first in the dental hospital waiting room (FIS-WR) and after, while sitting in the dental chair (FIS-DC). CFSS-DS was administered to all participants in order to assess the dental anxiety while they were sitting in the dental chair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the FIS results, there was no difference between CLP and control group in the waiting room (P = 0.682). However, the CLP group showed lower scores than the control group while they were sitting in the dental chair (P = 0.030). The FIS scores of the CLP group were significantly higher in the waiting room than while sitting in the dental chair (P = 0.007). In the control group, there was no significant difference between FIS-WR and FIS-DC values (P = 0.664). The total CFSS-DS scores of children with CLP were lower than those of the control group, but these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with CLP showed more anxiety in the FIS-WR than in the FIS-DC, but they showed lower scores than the control group in the FIS-DC. The positive previous experience of meetings with dentists of the CLP children could explain these results. Positive previous experiences with dentists and a short time in the waiting room could be key elements in the care of CLP children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muharrem Cem
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Buse Ayse
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.forename: Aslıhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzel
authors.forename: Gulsah
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seydaoglu
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000523:psychology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000523:psychology*; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003726:Dental Assistants; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D003762:Dental Instruments; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis / Q000523:psychology; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations