Prevalence of dental anxiety in 7- to 11-year-old children and its relationship to dental caries

ABSTRACT

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to evaluate the level of fear of dental procedures among schoolchildren and assess the relationship between caries experience and fear of dental procedures. 275 children aged 7-11 years were recruited for the study. Before conducting a dental examination, each subject was asked to independently complete a Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale [CFSS-DS] questionnaire. Children having a score of >38 were included in the group 'with dental fear while those scoring <38 were placed in the 'without dental fear' group. All dental examinations were performed on the school premises according to WHO criteria. Mean CFSS-DS value was 28.1, and the number of children who experienced dental fear was 40 [14.5%]. It was found that Decayed, Missing and Filled Surface Index [DMFS-dfs] increased significantly with increasing CFSS-DS values. Fear scores were highest for 'Choking' [3.3], Injections' [2.6] and Having somebody put instruments in their mouth [2.6]. No significant differences in fear scores between boys and girls were found in this study. The data showed prevalence of dental fear in the 7-11-year-old children of this study. Dental fear scores decreased with increasing age