273 - Parental Dental Fear Correlates with Child Dental Fear

Abstract:

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between parental oral health literacy and their children’s dental anxiety. Additionally, it examines whether parental dental fear and avoidance correlate with pediatric patients’ dental anxiety.

Methods: An observational study was conducted at East Carolina University’s Pediatric Dental Clinic and 88 patient-parent dyads were included. Parents/guardians of pediatric patients completed the REALMD-20 questionnaire to assess oral health literacy and responded to the Dental Fear and Avoidance Scale (DFAS). Pediatric patients responded to the Facial Image Scale (FIS) to self-report their dental anxiety. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, and oral health education sources were also collected.

Results: A two sample t-test was completed to evaluate both portions of the DFAS (fear and avoidance) and their relationship with the FIS scores. The fear score had a statistically significant difference (P = .011) between FIS scores of 1-3 (lower anxiety) and 4-5 (high anxiety) while the avoidance score was not statistically significant (P = .067). No statistical difference was found between REALMD-20 scores and the child’s FIS scores (P = .888).

Conclusions: Higher levels of parental dental fear were associated with increased dental anxiety in children. A parent’s ability to correctly recognize and pronounce medical and dental words did not correlate with a child’s’ dental fear level though we did not reach enough participants to definitively rule this correlation. This study indicates the parental emotional responses to dental care have a substantial influence on pediatric dental anxiety.