title: Indicators of dental anxiety in children just prior to treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the relationship between child dental anxiety and selected child and parental characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children and their parents were interviewed at the New York University, College of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. The Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) evaluated child self-reported anxiety; the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) measured self-reported parental anxiety when the parent received dental treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three children and their parents completed the questionnaires. Mean CFSS-DS scores were higher for girls than boys (32.5 vs. 26.3, p=0.003) and for children whose accompanying parents had MDAS scores of 11+ vs. ≥ 11 (32.8 vs. 26.6, p=0.001). There was little difference in mean CFSS-DS scores among those aged 6-10 yrs. vs. 11-14 yrs. (30.1 vs. 29.3). Significant correlations were found between CFSS-DS and both gender (Spearman's rho, rs=0.31) and MDAS scores (rs=0.33), but not between CFSS-DS and child age (rs=-0.05). Controlling simultaneously for gender, MDAS score and child age, a high CFSS-DS score (38+ vs. ≥ 38) was positively associated with girls (ORadj=3.76, 95% CI: 1.13-12.54) and an MDAS score of ≤ 15 vs. ≥ 11 (ORadj=2.50, 0.73-8.54), but weakly and inversely associated with age (ORadj=0.80, 0.25-2.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Child gender and parental anxiety are indicators of child dental anxiety.
authors: Pediatric Dentistry Department, School of Dental Medicine of the University of Zagreb, Croatia New York University College of Dentistry, New York, USA.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Majstorovic
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Morse
authors: NOVA Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Do
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, USA.
authors: L l
authors: Ll
authors: Lim
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, USA.
authors: N G
authors: NG
authors: Herman
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, USA.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Moursi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: CFSS-DS; children's dental anxiety; maternal anxiety