Assessment of the relationship between the child's anxiety assessed by verbal skill scale and CFSS-DS and parental anxiety in dental setting

Abstract

Fear of dental environment is a part of children's anxiety and fear that occur as negative behaviors such as fear,anxiety and anger.This negative behavior is in fact caused by separation anxiety,exposure to various dental instruments and medical treatment experiences.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between children's anxiety and anxiety of parents with two different methods (question of child and an evaluation by a dentist) and comparison of results. Method:In this cross-sectional study,128 children aged 4 to 6 years which were referred for routine dental examinatons and treatments to dental school were enrolled in the study .Parental anxiety was evaluated by Norman Corah's Dental Questionnaire and children's anxiety was analyzed by two VSS(Verbal Skill Scale ) and CFSS-DS(Dental Subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule) questionnaire and the relationship between them was investigated. Results: : The mean stress score based on CFSS_DS Scale was 248.7 and the mean stress score was 6.92.3 . No significant correlation was found between the child and parents stress in dental environment based on VSS scale(P-value>0.05). There was a significant correlation between the child and parents stress in dental environment based on CFSS-DS(P-value <0.05,correlation coefficient >0). Conclusion:no Significant correlation was found between the child and parental stress in dental environment based on VSS scale. There was a significant correlation between the child and parental stress in dental environment based on CFSS-DS, In other words, increase (or decrease) in the level of child's anxiety is accompanied by increase (or decrease) in parental level of anxiety and vice versa.