title: A longitudinal study of changes and associations in dental fear in parent/adolescent dyads.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental fear seems to fluctuate, but concordance of changes in dental fears between parent/adolescent dyads has not been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study longitudinally the associations between adolescent and parental dental fears and their changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents and parents reported their dental fear independently of each other when adolescents were between 11-12 and 15-16-year-olds. Eight hundred and seventeen eligible parent/adolescent dyads were included in the analyses. Dental fear was measured with a single question using five response alternatives. Associations between adolescent and parental dental fears and their changes were analysed using χ2tests and correlation coefficients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of dental fear remained rather similar during the study. There was a positive association between adolescent and parental dental fears in early adolescence (P < 0.001) but at middle adolescence only among parent/girl dyads (P = 0.007 for girls, P = 0.341 for boys). Changes in dental fear among parent/adolescent dyads did not correlate statistically significantly. Difference between girls' and boys' change in dental fear was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Dental fear increased more often among girls than among boys. Boys had stable low/no dental fear more often than girls did.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents' and parents' dental fears seemingly change independently of each other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Anni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Mimmi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolvanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pohjola
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rantavuori
authors.affiliation: FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.|Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Linnea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Turku Clinical Research Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lahti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires