Dental fear and anxiety among children and their caregivers

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Marília Gerhardt de
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Ávila, Roberta Alencastro, Silva, Roberta Rossi de Carvalho e, Gomes, Fernando Vacilotto, Moraes, João Feliz Duarte de, Weber, João Batista Blessmann
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFBA
• Texto Completo: http://repositorio.ufba.br/ri/handle/ri/23155
• topic: Ansiedade ao Tratamento Odontológico; Medo.; Criança.; Questionários.; Cuidadores.

Abstract Introduction: Dental treatment is an experience that elicits fear and anxiety in most people, and particularly in children. This fear is the first step to be overcome in the search for a satisfactory dentist-patient relationship. Aim: of this research was to assess fear and anxiety among children and their caregivers when faced with dental treatment and identify the main reasons behind these behaviors. Methodology: About 200 questionnaires consisting of nine multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question, to obtain additional information, were administered to male and female patients aged 4 to 13 years who were treated at a university pediatric dentistry clinic and to their respective caregivers. Results: show only one-third of children reported fear of the dentist. Pain, needles, and anesthesia were the main reasons behind their feelings of fear. Over 70% of interviewed children reported having experienced tooth pain at least once, which reinforces the importance of painful experiences as being associated with dental fear in a portion of these patients. Conclusion: that although dental fear was uncommon among caregivers, approximately one-third of children reported fear of the dentist, associated with perceived pain or needle phobia. Key words: Dental Anxiety. Fear. Child. Questionnaires. Caregivers.