A study of more than 400 children in Washington state found that the proportion of pediatric patients with dental fear was 20%. The proportion of children who displayed negative behavior during treatment was 21%. Perhaps not surprisingly, researchers found that children with dental fear had a greater propensity toward exhibiting negative behavior during a visit than children with no dental fear. Krista Baier, DMD, MSD, et al conducted the study.
The authors acknowledge that a significant corollary of their study is the fact that 80% of the children they studied showed no signs of significant dental fear. “Nevertheless,” the authors note, “this study demonstrates that there are some situations that, in having more information about the child beforehand, the pediatric dentist may plan to spend more time and effort in teaching children to cope.”
The authors believe that because children ages 6 and under are more likely to behave negatively, they are a particularly important group to screen. “Certainly,” they conclude, “the origins of most adult dental fears arise in childhood and are most likely to be preventable.”
(Source: Pediatric Dentistry, July/August 2004)
