Nigel M Nuttall1, Angela Gilbert, John Morris. 1. Dental Public Health & Health Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee Dental Hospital & School, Park Place, Dundee DD1 4HR, United Kingdom. n.m.nuttall@dundee.ac.uk
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of dental anxiety among a representative sample of children in the UK was determined in the Children's Dental Health survey of 2003. AIMS: This paper is concerned with the extent to which children in the United Kingdom are judged by a parent or carer to be behaviourally affected by dental anxiety and the factors associated with this. METHOD: The information was gathered by self-completion questionnaire distributed to the parents of half of the sample of children who were also clinically examined in the dental survey. RESULTS: Dental anxiety that was sufficient to disrupt dental attendance was reported for around 3-4% of the four age groups surveyed (5, 8, 12 and 15 years of age). Children's dental anxiety was associated with parental dental anxiety; a greater experience of invasive dental treatment and general anaesthetic; receipt of free school meals and social class. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst these findings do not necessarily indicate causal relationships, they do confirm a number of co-factors associated with dental anxiety perhaps most importantly that of anxiety with the experience of general anaesthetic for tooth extractions.
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of dental anxiety among a representative sample of children in the UK was determined in the Children's Dental Health survey of 2003. AIMS: This paper is concerned with the extent to which children in the United Kingdom are judged by a parent or carer to be behaviourally affected by dental anxiety and the factors associated with this. METHOD: The information was gathered by self-completion questionnaire distributed to the parents of half of the sample of children who were also clinically examined in the dental survey. RESULTS: Dental anxiety that was sufficient to disrupt dental attendance was reported for around 3-4% of the four age groups surveyed (5, 8, 12 and 15 years of age). Children's dental anxiety was associated with parental dental anxiety; a greater experience of invasive dental treatment and general anaesthetic; receipt of free school meals and social class. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst these findings do not necessarily indicate causal relationships, they do confirm a number of co-factors associated with dental anxiety perhaps most importantly that of anxiety with the experience of general anaesthetic for tooth extractions.
Authors: Anne Maguire; Jan E Clarkson; Gail Va Douglas; Vicky Ryan; Tara Homer; Zoe Marshman; Elaine McColl; Nina Wilson; Luke Vale; Mark Robertson; Alaa Abouhajar; Richard D Holmes; Ruth Freeman; Barbara Chadwick; Christopher Deery; Ferranti Wong; Nicola Pt Innes Journal: Health Technol Assess Date: 2020-01 Impact factor: 4.014