THE IMPACT OF GENDER ON CHILD DENTAL ANXIETY IN A SAMPLE OF EGYPTIAN CHILDREN (A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Despite the recent developments in the dental equipment and treatment procedures, dental fear and anxiety (DFA) are relatively common among children and adults. Relating dental fear and anxiety to gender is a controversial issue in scientific literature. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of gender on the child’s dental anxiety in a sample of Egyptian children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six children 6-10 years old (60 boys and 66 girls), at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry Alexandria University were asked to participate in the study. Children answered the Child Fear Survey Schedule – Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). RESULTS: About forty-six percent of the children in the studied sample were non-anxious, 30.2% were potentially anxious and only 23% were very anxious. Girls were significantly more dentally anxious than boys. (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The level of DFA was affected by the child gender where girls were more dentally anxious than boys. Injection was identified as the most fearful item in the dental visit.