Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years
Abstract Purpose To study prevalence of dental fear and the relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment between 1973 and 2013 in school children and young adults attending public dental health care. Methods Every ten years from 1973 to 2013 random samples of about 100 individuals in ea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Oral Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02166-6 |
| _version_ | 1818263846924582912 |
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| author | Anna Nydell Helkimo Bo Rolander Göran Koch |
| author_facet | Anna Nydell Helkimo Bo Rolander Göran Koch |
| author_sort | Anna Nydell Helkimo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Purpose To study prevalence of dental fear and the relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment between 1973 and 2013 in school children and young adults attending public dental health care. Methods Every ten years from 1973 to 2013 random samples of about 100 individuals in each of the age groups 10, 15 and 20 years took part in a repeated cross-sectional study based on clinical parameters and a questionnaire. Dental fear was estimated by the question: “What do you feel at the prospect of an appointment with a dentist?”. 75–99% of the samples answered the question. Agreement to at least one of the alternative answers: ill at ease, frightened and sick defined dental fear. Frightened and/or sick indicated severe dental fear. The prevalence of caries, gingivitis and number of filled tooth surfaces were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to show differences in proportions between groups and linear regression to show trends over time. Results Prevalence of dental fear declined in all age groups over time. In the 20-year olds dental fear was found in 29% of the sample and severe dental fear in 12% of girls and 5% of boys in 2013. Individuals with dental fear had higher mean caries prevalence and number of filled tooth surfaces compared with individuals without dental fear. Conclusions This 40-year time trend study showed a reduction in dental fear prevalence in school children and young adults offered regular public dental health care based on prevention and a psychological approach. The prevalence of dental fear was still high in 2013 despite a significant decline in caries during the study period. Further improvements in the psychological approach when treating children are thus needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:25:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7e913d85e1a4899800537da1661d747 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6831 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:25:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Oral Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7e913d85e1a4899800537da1661d7472022-12-22T00:14:32ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312022-04-0122111010.1186/s12903-022-02166-6Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 yearsAnna Nydell Helkimo0Bo Rolander1Göran Koch2Department of Paediatric Dentistry, The Institute for Postgraduate Dental EducationFuturum, Academy for Health and CareDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry, The Institute for Postgraduate Dental EducationAbstract Purpose To study prevalence of dental fear and the relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment between 1973 and 2013 in school children and young adults attending public dental health care. Methods Every ten years from 1973 to 2013 random samples of about 100 individuals in each of the age groups 10, 15 and 20 years took part in a repeated cross-sectional study based on clinical parameters and a questionnaire. Dental fear was estimated by the question: “What do you feel at the prospect of an appointment with a dentist?”. 75–99% of the samples answered the question. Agreement to at least one of the alternative answers: ill at ease, frightened and sick defined dental fear. Frightened and/or sick indicated severe dental fear. The prevalence of caries, gingivitis and number of filled tooth surfaces were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to show differences in proportions between groups and linear regression to show trends over time. Results Prevalence of dental fear declined in all age groups over time. In the 20-year olds dental fear was found in 29% of the sample and severe dental fear in 12% of girls and 5% of boys in 2013. Individuals with dental fear had higher mean caries prevalence and number of filled tooth surfaces compared with individuals without dental fear. Conclusions This 40-year time trend study showed a reduction in dental fear prevalence in school children and young adults offered regular public dental health care based on prevention and a psychological approach. The prevalence of dental fear was still high in 2013 despite a significant decline in caries during the study period. Further improvements in the psychological approach when treating children are thus needed.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02166-6Dental fearSchool childrenYoung adultsOral healthDental treatmentPublic dental health care |
| spellingShingle | Anna Nydell Helkimo Bo Rolander Göran Koch Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years BMC Oral Health Dental fear School children Young adults Oral health Dental treatment Public dental health care |
| title | Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years |
| title_full | Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years |
| title_fullStr | Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years |
| title_short | Dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care: prevalence and relationship to gender, oral disease and dental treatment; trends over 40 years |
| title_sort | dental fear in school children and young adults attending public dental health care prevalence and relationship to gender oral disease and dental treatment trends over 40 years |
| topic | Dental fear School children Young adults Oral health Dental treatment Public dental health care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02166-6 |
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