Factors influencing anxiety levels in children undergoing dental treatment in an undergraduate clinic

Abstract

Introduction:

Dental anxiety is a kind of fear exerted due to threatening stimuli. Assessing a child's dental anxiety level is very important to perform a particular treatment. The aim of this study is to examine the various factors that determine the anxiety levels in children and evaluate their anxiety levels.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 50 children participated in the survey conducted. Each participant had fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria to answer the questionnaire. It included questions regarding their habits, fears, and dental visit experience. Evaluation of their anxiety levels was done using the facial image scale (FIS) and the modified dental anxiety scale and was correlated with various factors using the Statistical Package for Social Science Software.

Results:

Female children are more anxious than male children toward dental treatment. About 38% were anxious and 16% refused while undergoing radiographic examination and showed significant anxiety levels ( P = 0.012). About 16% of the population were highly uncooperative and were necessary to implement behavioral shaping techniques on them. It influences the FIS anxiety score before initiation of the treatment ( P = 0.003). About 48% of children had maintained a good rapport with the dentist and showed strong significance with the child's anxiety ( P = 0.025).

Conclusion:

Gender and behavior of the child while diagnosis and radiographic examination, implementation of behavioral shaping techniques, and rapport developed between child and dentist are all influencing factors of dental anxiety. The number of visits to the dental clinic, socioeconomic status, kind of amount of consumption of sugars, and type of treatment being done do not contribute to a child's anxiety level.