The impact of dental anxiety on the oral health of children aged 5 and 8 years: a regression analysis of the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.

Introduction Dental anxiety and fear is widely prevalent in the population, including children. This research is a further analysis of the Child Dental Health Survey 2013, to explore the impact of dental anxiety on factors relating to oral health.Aim To explore the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health and the impact dental anxiety has on the quality of family life.Design Regression analysis of data of 4,916 children aged 5 years and 8 years who participated in the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.Setting National Epidemiological Survey in schools in the UK.Materials and methods A series of logistic regression analyses was carried out for markers of oral health and impact of the child's oral health on the family's quality of life. The variables entered as predictors in the models included dental anxiety, socio demographic status and oral health-related behaviours.Results Dental anxiety was associated with poorer oral health on nearly all measures (decay experience p = <0.001, active decay p = <0.001, primary tooth being restored p = 0.010, signs of oral infection p = 0.007) and had a greater impact on their family's quality of life (p = <0.001).Conclusions Dentally anxious children have more dental disease and this has a greater impact on their family's quality of life.

How does dental anxiety affect the oral health of adolescents? A regression analysis of the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.

Introduction Dental phobia has been widely studied but there is limited research on the effect of dental phobia on oral health. This research is an analysis of the 2013 Child Dental Health Survey, to explore the impact of dental anxiety on factors relating to oral health in the adolescents.Aim To examine if dental anxiety predicts poor oral health in 12- and 15-year-olds.Design Regression analysis of data from 4,950 children aged 12 years and 15 years who participated in the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.Setting National epidemiological survey of UK schools.Materials and methods A series of logistic regressions was carried out to examine if dental anxiety, socio demographic factors and oral health-related behaviour could predict oral health status, the impact of the child's oral health on their own quality of life and the impact of their oral health on the family's quality of life. Additional outcomes examined were self-perceived dental health and general health.Results Dental anxiety was not a predictor of poor oral health but did predict a greater impact of the child's oral health on everyday life. Adolescents with dental anxiety had negative thoughts regarding their dental and general health.Conclusions Dental anxiety affects the everyday life and psychological wellbeing of adolescents.

The oral health of dentally anxious five- and eight-year-olds: a secondary analysis of the 2013 Child Dental Health Survey.

Introduction Little research has been conducted into the relationships between dental anxiety and factors relating to oral health in small children. This research takes advantage of data from the Child Dental Health Survey 2013 to perform a secondary analysis for the five- and eight-year-old age groups. Aim To compare the oral health of groups of children aged five and eight years old, classified into three levels of anxiety.Design Secondary analysis of data from 2,289 children aged five and eight years in the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.Materials and methods Participants were divided into three groups, depending on the parent's report of their child's dental anxiety. Descriptive analyses compared the three groups on social demographic factors, clinical status, self-reported oral health status, oral health-related behaviours and oral health impact. Results Dentally anxious children were more likely to have active decay and decay experience. Parents of children with dental anxiety were more likely to report that the child's oral health had a negative effect on family life. Highly anxious children were less likely to attend the dentist or engage in oral health-related behaviours. Conclusions Dentally anxious children have more dental disease and their parents express that the child's oral health has a greater impact on their family's quality of life.

The oral health of dentally phobic 12- and 15-year-olds: a descriptive analysis of the 2013 Child Dental Health Survey.

Introduction Dental anxiety has been shown to be related to poorer oral health. Limited data exist exploring the relationship between oral health status and dental anxiety in non-clinical populations in children.Aim To compare the oral health of phobic and non-phobic children aged 12 and 15 years.Design Secondary analysis of data from 12-year-old and 15-year-old children in the Child Dental Health Survey 2013.Materials and methods Participants were grouped into non-phobic and phobic groups, depending on their self-reported dental anxiety (MDAS). Descriptive analyses compared the two groups on social demographic factors, clinical status, self-reported oral health status, oral health-related behaviours and oral health impact.Results A total of 601 children were classed as dentally phobic with 4,144 classed as non-phobic. Dental phobic children were more likely to be female, had more active decay and untreated dental disease, and rated their dental health as poorer. Phobic children were more likely to report that their oral health had a negative effect on their everyday life. This group were less likely to brush their teeth regularly or attend the dentist for check-ups.Conclusions Dentally phobic children have more dental disease and express greater impact on their everyday life.