Dental anxiety in children aged 6-15 years

Abstract

Introduction: Dental anxiety and fear are the source of serious health problems in children. The prevalence of dental anxiety in children and adults widely ranges from 5-40%. Aims of the study: The aim of this study was to determine the level of dental anxiety among school aged children and to point out these issues in school children, in order to get better understanding and management of treatment in these children, and take appropriate preventive measures. Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 70 children (42 males and 28 females) in age of 6-15 years, in „Health“ Kneževo during period of March/April 2014. Children were divided into two groups according to their age. First group consisted of children aged 6-10, and the second one 11-15 years old. We studied the prevalence of dental anxiety, gender and age distribution, the degree of dental anxiety, and the impact of previous dental experience. The assessment of dental anxiety was obtained using Dental anxiety scale (DAS). Results: Average DAS in children was 9.94. There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of dental anxiety in relation to sex and age of a child. In 18.57% of the children, severe dental anxiety was identified. Previous negative dental experience significantly affects the level of anxiety in children. Conclusion: Dental anxiety is an actual and widespread problem. A negative dental experience has a great impact on the development of dental anxiety.