Dental Fear And Anxiety In Children
Keywords:
Fear, dentophobia, anxiety, children’s reactions
Abstract
Fear and anxiety are conditions that contribute to survival in an evolutionary context [6]. Various cognitive, neurobiological, emotional and behavioral responses are triggered when confronted with a dangerous situation and these reactions allow us to protect ourselves [2]. Our focus is on danger and the body is preparing for a "fight" or "flight" (the hormone adrenaline is released to increase strength and endurance, the heart beats faster to pump blood into the main muscle groups, the body begins to sweat, to maintain optimal temperature). Although these "survival reactions" are useful in situations where there is a real danger, in cases where there is no real threat, instinctive fear reactions do not help and can increase distress. For example, children begin to worry because they do not understand what is happening to them. Therefore, the first thing practicing dentists can do to support anxious patients is to explain the essence of the fear response and normalize feelings of anxiety.
References
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Armfield JM. How do we measure dental fear and what are we measuring anyway? Oral Health &Prev Dent. 2010;8:107–15.
Beaton L, Freeman R, Humphris G. Why are people afraid of the dentist? Observations and explanations. Med PrincPract. 2014;23:295–301.
Bernson JM, Elfstrom ML, Hakeberg M. Dental coping strategies, general anxiety, and depression among adult patients with dental anxiety but with different dental-attendance patterns. Eur J Oral Sci. 2013;121:270–6
Carrillo-Diaz M, Crego A, Romero-Maroto M. The influence of gender on the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health-related emotional well-being. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2013;23:180–7.
Craske MG. Functions of fear versus anxiety. Origins of phobias and anxiety. 1st ed. Oxford: Elsevier; 2003. p. 21–31
De Jongh A, Aartman IH, Brand N. Trauma-related phenomena in anxious dental patients. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2003;31:52–8
De Jongh A, Oosterink FM, Kieffer JM, et al. The structure of common fears: comparing three different models. Am J Psychol. 2011;124:141–9
Gullone E. The development of normal fear: a century of research. ClinPsychol Rev. 2000;20:429–51.
Dogan MC, Seydaoglu G, Uguz S, et al. The effect of age, gender and socio-economic factors on perceived dental anxiety determined by a modified scale in children. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2006;4:235–41
Hallberg U, Camling E, Zickert I, et al. Dental appointment no-shows: why do some parents fail to take their children to the dentist? Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2008;18:27–34
Health and Social Care Information Centre. Children’s dental health survey 2013 report 1: attitudes, behaviours and children’s dental health: Health and Social Care Information Centre; 2013
Hill KB, Hainsworth JM, Burke FJ, et al.. Evaluation of dentists’ perceived needs regarding treatment of the anxious patient. Br Dent J. 2008;204:E13; 442–3
Klingberg G, Berggren U, Carlsson SG, et al. Child dental fear: cause-related factors and clinical effects. Eur J Oral Sci. 1995;103:405–12.
Klingberg G, Broberg AG. Dental fear/anxiety and dental behaviour management problems in children and adolescents: a review of prevalence and concomitant psychological factors. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2007;17:391–406
Krikken JB, Veerkamp JS. Child rearing styles, dental anxiety and disruptive behaviour; an exploratory study. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent Off J EurAcadPaediatr Dent. 2008;9(Suppl): 23–8.
Locker D, Liddell A, Dempster L, et al. Age of onset of dental anxiety. J Dent Res. 1999;78:790–6.
Majstorovic M, Veerkamp JS. Developmental changes in dental anxiety in a normative population of Dutch children. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent Off J EurAcadPaediatr Dent. 2005;6:30–4
Majstorovic M, Skrinjaric T, Szirovicza L, et al. Dental anxiety in relation to emotional and behavioral problems in Croatian adolescents. CollAntropol. 2007;31:573–8
Nuttall NM, Gilbert A, Morris J. Children’s dental anxiety in the United Kingdom in 2003. J Dent. 2008;36:857–60
Olumide F, Newton JT, Dunne S, Gilbert DB. Anticipatory anxiety in children visiting the dentist: lack of effect of preparatory information. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2009;19:338–42
Ost LG, Clark DM. Cognitive behavioural therapy: principles, procedures and evidence-base. Cognitive behavioural therapy for dental anxiety and phobia. 1st ed. Malaysia: Wiley-Blackwell; 2013. p. 91–108.
Poulton R, Waldie KE, Thomson WM, et al. Determinants of early- vs late-onset dental fear in a longitudinal-epidemiological study. Behav Res Ther. 2001;39:777–85.
Rachman S. The conditioning theory of fear-acquisition: a critical examination. Behav Res Ther. 1977;15:375–87.
Ramos-Jorge J, Marques LS, Homem MA, et al. Degree of dental anxiety in children with and without toothache: prospective assessment. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2013;23:125–30.
Rantavuori K, Lahti S, Hausen H, et al. Dental fear and oral health and family characteristics of Finnish children. ActaOdontol Scand. 2004;62:207–13
Ray J, Boman UW, Bodin L, et al. Heritability of dental fear. J Dent Res. 2010;89:297–301
Smith PA, Freeman R. Remembering and repeating childhood dental treatment experiences: parents, their children, and barriers to dental care. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2010;20:50–8.
Stenebrand A, Wide Boman U, Hakeberg M. Dental anxiety and symptoms of general anxiety and depression in 15-year-olds. Int J Dent Hyg. 2013;11:99–104.
Stenebrand A, Wide Boman U, Hakeberg M. General fearfulness, attitudes to dental care, and dental anxiety in adolescents. Eur J Oral Sci. 2013;121:252–7
Themessl-Huber M, Freeman R, Humphris G, et al. Empirical evidence of the relationship between parental and child dental fear: a structured review and meta-analysis. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2010;20:83–101
Townend E, Dimigen G, Fung D. A clinical study of child dental anxiety. Behav Res Ther. 2000;38:31–46.
Vika M, Skaret E, Raadal M, et al. Fear of blood, injury, and injections, and its relationship to dental anxiety and probability of avoiding dental treatment among 18-year-olds in Norway. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2008;18:163–9
Weinstein P. Child-Centred child management in a changing world. EurArchivPaediatr Dent. 2008;9:6–10
Wigen TI, Skaret E, Wang NJ. Dental avoidance behaviour in parent and child as risk indicators for caries in 5-year-old children. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2009;19:431–7
Wogelius P, Poulsen S. Associations between dental anxiety, dental treatment due to toothache, and missed dental appointments among six to eight-year-old Danish children: a cross-sectional study. ActaOdontol Scand. 2005;63:179–82.
Zhou Y, Cameron E, Forbes G, et al. Systematic review of the effect of dental staff behaviour on child dental patient anxiety and behaviour. Patient EducCouns. 2011;85:4–13
Armfield JM. How do we measure dental fear and what are we measuring anyway? Oral Health &Prev Dent. 2010;8:107–15.
Beaton L, Freeman R, Humphris G. Why are people afraid of the dentist? Observations and explanations. Med PrincPract. 2014;23:295–301.
Bernson JM, Elfstrom ML, Hakeberg M. Dental coping strategies, general anxiety, and depression among adult patients with dental anxiety but with different dental-attendance patterns. Eur J Oral Sci. 2013;121:270–6
Carrillo-Diaz M, Crego A, Romero-Maroto M. The influence of gender on the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health-related emotional well-being. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2013;23:180–7.
Craske MG. Functions of fear versus anxiety. Origins of phobias and anxiety. 1st ed. Oxford: Elsevier; 2003. p. 21–31
De Jongh A, Aartman IH, Brand N. Trauma-related phenomena in anxious dental patients. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2003;31:52–8
De Jongh A, Oosterink FM, Kieffer JM, et al. The structure of common fears: comparing three different models. Am J Psychol. 2011;124:141–9
Gullone E. The development of normal fear: a century of research. ClinPsychol Rev. 2000;20:429–51.
Dogan MC, Seydaoglu G, Uguz S, et al. The effect of age, gender and socio-economic factors on perceived dental anxiety determined by a modified scale in children. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2006;4:235–41
Hallberg U, Camling E, Zickert I, et al. Dental appointment no-shows: why do some parents fail to take their children to the dentist? Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2008;18:27–34
Health and Social Care Information Centre. Children’s dental health survey 2013 report 1: attitudes, behaviours and children’s dental health: Health and Social Care Information Centre; 2013
Hill KB, Hainsworth JM, Burke FJ, et al.. Evaluation of dentists’ perceived needs regarding treatment of the anxious patient. Br Dent J. 2008;204:E13; 442–3
Klingberg G, Berggren U, Carlsson SG, et al. Child dental fear: cause-related factors and clinical effects. Eur J Oral Sci. 1995;103:405–12.
Klingberg G, Broberg AG. Dental fear/anxiety and dental behaviour management problems in children and adolescents: a review of prevalence and concomitant psychological factors. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2007;17:391–406
Krikken JB, Veerkamp JS. Child rearing styles, dental anxiety and disruptive behaviour; an exploratory study. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent Off J EurAcadPaediatr Dent. 2008;9(Suppl): 23–8.
Locker D, Liddell A, Dempster L, et al. Age of onset of dental anxiety. J Dent Res. 1999;78:790–6.
Majstorovic M, Veerkamp JS. Developmental changes in dental anxiety in a normative population of Dutch children. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent Off J EurAcadPaediatr Dent. 2005;6:30–4
Majstorovic M, Skrinjaric T, Szirovicza L, et al. Dental anxiety in relation to emotional and behavioral problems in Croatian adolescents. CollAntropol. 2007;31:573–8
Nuttall NM, Gilbert A, Morris J. Children’s dental anxiety in the United Kingdom in 2003. J Dent. 2008;36:857–60
Olumide F, Newton JT, Dunne S, Gilbert DB. Anticipatory anxiety in children visiting the dentist: lack of effect of preparatory information. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2009;19:338–42
Ost LG, Clark DM. Cognitive behavioural therapy: principles, procedures and evidence-base. Cognitive behavioural therapy for dental anxiety and phobia. 1st ed. Malaysia: Wiley-Blackwell; 2013. p. 91–108.
Poulton R, Waldie KE, Thomson WM, et al. Determinants of early- vs late-onset dental fear in a longitudinal-epidemiological study. Behav Res Ther. 2001;39:777–85.
Rachman S. The conditioning theory of fear-acquisition: a critical examination. Behav Res Ther. 1977;15:375–87.
Ramos-Jorge J, Marques LS, Homem MA, et al. Degree of dental anxiety in children with and without toothache: prospective assessment. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2013;23:125–30.
Rantavuori K, Lahti S, Hausen H, et al. Dental fear and oral health and family characteristics of Finnish children. ActaOdontol Scand. 2004;62:207–13
Ray J, Boman UW, Bodin L, et al. Heritability of dental fear. J Dent Res. 2010;89:297–301
Smith PA, Freeman R. Remembering and repeating childhood dental treatment experiences: parents, their children, and barriers to dental care. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2010;20:50–8.
Stenebrand A, Wide Boman U, Hakeberg M. Dental anxiety and symptoms of general anxiety and depression in 15-year-olds. Int J Dent Hyg. 2013;11:99–104.
Stenebrand A, Wide Boman U, Hakeberg M. General fearfulness, attitudes to dental care, and dental anxiety in adolescents. Eur J Oral Sci. 2013;121:252–7
Themessl-Huber M, Freeman R, Humphris G, et al. Empirical evidence of the relationship between parental and child dental fear: a structured review and meta-analysis. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2010;20:83–101
Townend E, Dimigen G, Fung D. A clinical study of child dental anxiety. Behav Res Ther. 2000;38:31–46.
Vika M, Skaret E, Raadal M, et al. Fear of blood, injury, and injections, and its relationship to dental anxiety and probability of avoiding dental treatment among 18-year-olds in Norway. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2008;18:163–9
Weinstein P. Child-Centred child management in a changing world. EurArchivPaediatr Dent. 2008;9:6–10
Wigen TI, Skaret E, Wang NJ. Dental avoidance behaviour in parent and child as risk indicators for caries in 5-year-old children. Int J Paediatr Dent Br PaedodSocIntAssoc Dent Child. 2009;19:431–7
Wogelius P, Poulsen S. Associations between dental anxiety, dental treatment due to toothache, and missed dental appointments among six to eight-year-old Danish children: a cross-sectional study. ActaOdontol Scand. 2005;63:179–82.
Zhou Y, Cameron E, Forbes G, et al. Systematic review of the effect of dental staff behaviour on child dental patient anxiety and behaviour. Patient EducCouns. 2011;85:4–13
Published
2021-05-03
How to Cite
Bekchanova Makhfuza Rustamovna. (2021). Dental Fear And Anxiety In Children. Central Asian Journal of Medical and Natural Science, 2(2), 240-246. https://doi.org/10.17605/cajmns.v2i2.162
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