Impact of Self-concept on Preschoolers’ Dental Anxiety and Behavior

Abstract

Background and aims. Different factors affect children’s behavior during dental treatment, including psychological and behavioral characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of self-concept on child’s anxiety and behavior during dental treatment in 4 to 6-year-old children.Materials and methods. A total of 235 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years were included in this descriptive analytic study. Total self-concept score for each child was assessed according to Primary Self-concept Scale before dental treatment. Child’s anxiety and child’s behavior were assessed, during the restoration of mandibular primary molar, using clinical anxiety rating scale and Frankl Scale, respectively. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the total self-concept score with the results of clinical anxiety rating scale and Frankl Scale.Results. There was a moderate inverse correlation between the self-concept and clinical anxiety rating scale scores (r = -0.545, P < 0.001), and a moderate correlation between the self-concept and child’s behavior scores (r = 0.491, P < 0.001). A strong inverse relation was also found between the anxiety and behavior scores (r = -0.91, P < 0.001).Conclusion. Children with higher self-concept had lower anxiety level and better behavioral feedback during dental treatment.

Comparison of the effect of pharmacotherapy and neuro-feedback therapy on oral health of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…ADHD conveys a risk for the development of dental anxiety, depressive and anxiety disorders as well as learning impairments, mood and language disorders ( 22 , 27 ). These conditions make the dental treatment time-consuming, costly and demanding for the clinician and the child, and have a strong negative impact on treatment outcome ( 27 , 28 ). ADHD children possess coping problems in challenging situations like dental setting owing to their impaired cognitive condition and higher rate of learning disorders ( 22 , 29 ).…”

Does the length of dental treatment influence children’s behaviour during and after treatment? A systematic review and critical appraisal

“…This means that strengthening children’s confidence must be addressed to create optimal treatment by intervening at the level of their coping skills relating to the nature of some specific treatment demands. 2 - 4 …”

Can galvanic skin conductance be used as an objective indicator of children's anxiety in the dental setting?

“…The first step of validation was to compare GSR with the fully recognized scales of anxiety i.e. MCDAS and CARS, which have been shown to be valid measures ( 18 , 19 ).…”

“…Three measurements were taken: the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS) as a self-report scale ( 18 ), the Clinical Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS) as a behavioral scale ( 19 ), and the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) for physiological evaluation of dental anxiety.…”

“…CARS is a six-point rating scale and the scores range from 0 to 5 ( Table 1 ) ( 19 ). The raters received adequate training prior to this study to become familiar with the rating scales used.…”