PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate fear, temperament, behavioral symptoms and verbal intelligence in a study group of uncooperative child dental patients, partly in comparison with a reference group of ordinary child dental patients. A second aim was to explore a hypothesis of heterogeneity by searching for subgroups within the study group. METHODS: Parents of 86 study group children (36 aged 4-to 7- years and 50 aged 8- to 12-years) and 117 reference group children (8- to 12-years) answered a questionnaire concerning dental and general fear, temperament and general behavior. Study group children performed a vocabulary test to measure verbal intelligence. Data were analyzed with a variable-based and a person-based approach. RESULTS: In addition to dental fear, a higher level of impulsivity most clearly discriminated study group from reference group children. Cluster analyses revealed four different fear and personality subgroups within the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Uncooperative child dental patients constitute a heterogeneous group. Subgroups with different fear, temperament and behavior problem profiles can be identified. These subgroups could be presumed to benefit from different treatment regimens, which should be further investigated.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate fear, temperament, behavioral symptoms and verbal intelligence in a study group of uncooperative child dental patients, partly in comparison with a reference group of ordinary child dental patients. A second aim was to explore a hypothesis of heterogeneity by searching for subgroups within the study group. METHODS: Parents of 86 study group children (36 aged 4-to 7- years and 50 aged 8- to 12-years) and 117 reference group children (8- to 12-years) answered a questionnaire concerning dental and general fear, temperament and general behavior. Study group children performed a vocabulary test to measure verbal intelligence. Data were analyzed with a variable-based and a person-based approach. RESULTS: In addition to dental fear, a higher level of impulsivity most clearly discriminated study group from reference group children. Cluster analyses revealed four different fear and personality subgroups within the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Uncooperative child dental patients constitute a heterogeneous group. Subgroups with different fear, temperament and behavior problem profiles can be identified. These subgroups could be presumed to benefit from different treatment regimens, which should be further investigated.
Authors: Jeff Howenstein; Ashok Kumar; Paul S Casamassimo; Dennis McTigue; Daniel Coury; Han Yin Journal: Pediatr Dent Date: 2015 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 1.874
Authors: M Khosrozadeh; S Ghadimi; M Kazemzadeh Gharghabi; M J Kharrazifard; M H Hamrah; A Baghalian Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2022-06-24 Impact factor: 3.246