Maternal Dental Anxiety and its Effect on Caries Experience Among Children in Udaipur, India.
BACKGROUND
Dental caries is a common oral disease among children. There are various factors that influence caries development. Parents and family environment influence oral health behaviours among children. Dental Anxiety is a common hindrance in seeking dental treatment. Mothers' dental anxiety may act as a barrier to seek professional advice about their children's caries experience.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate dental anxiety among mothers and its possible relationship with caries experience in their children in Udaipur city, India.


METHODS
The sample was selected from those attending Darshan Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur for dental treatment. The study period was from June 2014 to November 2014.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was designed. A total of 187 mother-child pairs were recruited for the study. The children's age ranged from 3-14 years. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), Hindi version, was used to evaluate dental anxiety among the mothers that categorizes the dental anxiety into five levels. Demographic detail such as age, educational level, and family income was also collected. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria was utilized for the diagnosis of dental caries in children. DMFT (Decayed, missing and filled teeth) and DMFS (Decayed, missing and filled surfaces) scores were then calculated.


METHODS
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used to interpret data. Maternal anxiety scores taken as mean MDAS were compared with various independent variables. Statistical tests were used to compare maternal anxiety and children's caries experience. A p value equal or less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.


RESULTS
Almost half (49.7%) of the mothers reported as being 'fairly anxious' or 'very anxious'. There was a significant (p=.001) difference in maternal dental anxiety level in relation to age of the children. Mothers of younger children reported higher anxiety scores. Similarly, mothers with lesser education and lesser family income reported higher anxiety scores. The mean decayed score in children of very anxious mothers and phobic mothers was significantly (p=.001) higher as compared to the children of the mothers with lower anxiety levels.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a strong positive association between maternal dental anxiety and children's dental caries experience.
PG Student, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Darshan Dental College and Hospital , Loyra, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India .
Shabnam Gulzar
SG
Khawja
Professor and Head, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Darshan Dental College and Hospital , Loyra, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India .
Ruchi
R
Arora
Faculty, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Salman bin Abdulaziz University , AlKharj, Saudi Arabia , Fellow Pacific Academy of Higher Education and Research (PAHER) University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Altaf Hussain
AH
Shah
Professor and Director, Post Graduate Studies, Paediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, King Saud University , Saudi Arabia .
Amjad Hassan
AH
Wyne
Lecturer, Paediatric Dentistry, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Salman bin Abdulaziz University , AlKharj, Saudi Arabia .
Anshu
A
Sharma
Dental caries; Epidemiology; Oral health; Paediatric dentistry