Assessment of the effect of 3-6 years old children's self-concept on their anxiety and behavior in dental setting in patients reffered to Tabriz Dental facculty in year 2012

Abstract

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of primary self-concept of 3-6 year-old children on their anxiety and dental behavior. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study 235 3-6 year-old children from the individuals referring pediatric faculty of Tabriz Dental School which had caries in their mandibular primary molars and need restorative treatment under local anesthesia were selected. Amount of children primary self-concept was determined using primary self-concept scale questionnaire. Then, their dental anxiety and behavior during restorative treatment by pediatric dentist was measured using anxiety and behavior scale. Results: 235 children (119 male and 116 female) with the mean age of 5.4 years old was evaluated. There was a significant correlation among children self-concept and their dental behavior. Also, there was a reverse correlation between children self-concept and their dental anxiety. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, the children with higher self-concept expressed better dental behavior and had lower dental anxiety.