[Fear of dental treatment among children. Influence of experience and psychological functioning]. / Angst voor een tandheelkundige behandeling bij kinderen. Invloed van ervaring en psychisch functioneren.

This research considers whether fear of dental treatment among children is linked with a prior (negative) experience with local anaesthesia or with psychological functioning. Furthermore, the study investigated whether these factors play a role in anxious behaviour before and during a local anaesthetic injection. In this study 128 children between the ages of 4 and 11 took part. With the help of video recordings, the anxious behaviour before and during the local anaesthetic injection was scored using the Venham-scale. During the treatment one of the child's parents or guardians was asked if the child had previously been given a local anaesthetic injection (experience). The fear of dental treatment and the child's psychological functioning were measured using the parents' version of the 'Dental Subscale' of the 'Children's Fear Survey Schedule' and the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire' respectively. Results showed a correlation between on one hand fear of dental treatment and on the other hand anxious behaviour before and during a local anaesthetic injection and psychological functioning. Furthermore, results indicated that children with fear of dental treatment exhibited more fearful behaviour before and during an injection with local anaesthetic. Only in the case of children whose psychological functioning was reduced there was a significant relationship between experience with local anaesthesia and fearful behaviour prior to the injection of a local anaesthetic.

[Children's distress during application of local anaesthesia. Computerized tool versus traditional syringe]. / Ongemak van kinderen tijdens het geven van lokale anesthesie. Vergelijking van een geautomatiseerd systeem en de traditionele methode.

This study compared the level of distress in children during the application of local anaesthesia by a computerized tool (Wand) and by a traditional syringe. The influence of children's mild or extreme anxiety regarding the dental procedure was also determined. 125 children between the ages of 4 and 11 years old participated in this study. Their discomfort was recorded on videotape and marked on the Venham scale and the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress at 15 second intervals. Parents rated their child's level of anxiety on the Dental Subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule. The results indicate that mildly anxious children suffered less distress and showed less muscle tension, verbal protest and body movement during the first 2 intervals when the computerized tool was used. However, the maximum distress score at the moment of injection was similar in both methods. There was no difference found in the level of distress in the highly anxious children.