World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

DENTAL ANXIETY AMONG PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AND THEIR PARENTS

Dr. A. Vinita Mary*, Dr. R. Kesavan, Dr. Priya G., Dr. Priyanka P. and Dr. Ramya R.

ABSTRACT

Background: Anxiety is an emotion used to describe fear over something. While undergoing a dental treatment anxiety is usually experienced by most of the patients towards pain. Materials and Methods: A Questionnaire based study was conducted to evaluate dental anxiety among patients anticipating various dental treatments. Two hundred paediatric patients who were scheduled for dental treatment along with their parents participated in the study. Patients were anticipating one of the following dental procedures: scaling, filling, root canal therapy, extraction. Patients were selected randomly from the out patients of Pedodontics Department. The questionnaire contained 28 questions which were divided to four sections, and the questionnaire was completed by the patients and their parents while waiting for their treatment. The data collection was done by convenience sampling. The statistical calculations were done based on the faces index using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software version 21.0. Result: A total of 200 pediatric patients and their parents participated in the study. The results of the study revealed multiple manifestations and impacts of dental anxiety, including immediate physical reactions, psychological responses and uncooperativeness in dental treatment. Scores were highest for “restoration” being 88 (44.0%), “extraction” being 81 (40.5%) followed by “conscious sedation” being 79 (39.5%) and “injections” being 70 (35.0%). Testimonials from children, and their parents suggested diverse origins of dental anxiety, namely personal experience (e.g., irregular dental visits and influence of parents), dental settings (e.g., dental chair and sounds), and dental procedures (e.g., injections, pain, discomfort). Conclusion: The results of the study suggested that dental anxiety in children has multifaceted manifestations, impacts, and origins. Also, anxiety was closely associated with a symptomatic, irregular attendance pattern, a history of extraction and having a dentally anxious parent. Dental anxiety could be better prevented and intercepted through coordinated efforts of dentists, dental auxiliaries, pediatric patients, and their parents.

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