Predictors of Dental Fear and Anxiety in 9-12-year-old Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bajrić, Elmedin; Kobašlija, Sedin; Huseinbegović, Amina; Zukanović, Amila; Marković, Nina; Selimović-Dragaš, Mediha; Arslanagić, Amra; Hasić-Branković, Lajla; Zukić, Selma

doi:10.15644/asc56/3/3

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…When confronted with a stressful dental stimulus, a child could develop a reflexive psychological defensive reaction to it in the form of fear appearance [1,28]. The reason for this appearance is the fact that these direct invasive stimuli threaten to disrupt the integrity of the organism [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is the core problem of already impaired oral health in childhood, where parents have to assume more responsibility and play more important roles, not only in managing better oral health in their children (proper oral hygiene, anticariogenic diet, fluoride use) but also in cooperation for the conduct of better cooperative behaviors of their children in the dental office. Thus, the avoidance of visiting the dental office would decrease significantly over time [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationship between Children’s Lifestyle and Fear during Dental Visits: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2022

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The purpose was to analyze the relationship between new family and social patterns and child emotions in the dental clinic. The sample consisted of 174 children between the ages of four and nine. Parents completed 20 questions that referred to social, family, cultural, and economic factors. The Wong–Baker scale was completed by the children after the end of the treatment. A total of 129 of the children were found to be extremely happy (45.4%) or happy (28.7%) with the dental care received. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between younger children and sad and incredibly sad faces on the Wong–Baker test with a strong association (V > 0.3). Regarding children who practiced team sports, the chi-square test revealed a very significant association with happy and incredibly happy faces (p < 0.001) and the Cramer statistic evidenced a strong relationship between team sports and less dental fear (V > 0.3). Considering the limitations, small children (4–6 years) would be more fearful. In addition, stable environments in the family life of children (appropriate routines, adequate time spent with videogames, sport activities) could be interesting factors for improved control of fear and emotions in children. Further research is needed in this field.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Children’s Lifestyle and Fear during Dental Visits: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2022

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“…DA is a complex phenomenon influenced by many factors, such as previous negative dental experience, parental DA, socioeconomic status, education, and psychological conditions (depression, OCD, abuse, fear of microbes and other phobias, etc.) ( 6 - 10 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental Anxiety Among Students of the University of Rijeka, Croatia

Ivančić Jokic,

Matičić,

Šimunović Erpušina

et al. 2024

Acta Stomatol Croat

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Objectives Dental anxiety is a common problem and a great challenge for many patients, but also for dentists - the treatment of anxious patients is considered to be one of the most stressful situations for dentists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental anxiety among the students of the University of Rijeka and to detect possible differences in the level of anxiety among students of different study programs. Participants and methods This cross-sectional study included 290 students from different faculties of the University of Rijeka (Faculty of Law, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine), 73 (25.17%) male and 217 (74.83%) female students. The study was conducted online via The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) in 2020 and sampling was based on voluntary responses. The Student’s t-test and ANOVA were used to compare differences in MDAS scores among students. Results There is a significant difference in dental anxiety levels between students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Faculty of Dental Medicine (MDAS=11.32±4.11, MDAS=8.84±3.03, p=0.01), and also between students from the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Dental Medicine (MDAS=11.47±4.64, MDAS=8.84±3.03, p <0.01). Conclusions This research showed that non-dental students have a higher level of dental anxiety than dental students. Sufficient knowledge of dental and oral health could potentially overcome dental fear and anxiety. Therefore, there is a need to provide additional dental education throughout the university curriculum.

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Prevalence of Dental Fear and Its Association with Oral Health Status Among School Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Cross-Sectional Study

Eric,

Davidovic,

Mladenovic

et al. 2025

Medicina

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Background and Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of dental fear among schoolchildren in Bosnia and Herzegovina, analyze the distribution of dental anxiety by gender, age, and place of residence in relation to perceived sources of fear, and evaluate its association with oral health status. Materials and Methods: The sample included 355 schoolchildren between the ages of 12 and 15. Data were gathered using a self-assessment questionnaire, a brief clinical oral examination, and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule–Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Results: Clinical examinations showed that 87.61% of the children had dental caries, with a mean DMFT score of 3.75 (SD = 2.93). The prevalence of dental caries was significantly higher in the older group compared to the younger group (p < 0.01). Dental fear was present in 21.7% of the children, with a mean total CFSS-DS score of 27.50 (SD = 13.85). The most feared aspect among the children was “Choking” (73.8%), followed by “Injections” (63.7%) and “The noise of the dentist drilling” (52.1%). Children with dental fear had a significantly greater number of decayed and missing teeth, higher DMFT scores, and poorer gingival health and oral hygiene compared to those without dental fear (p < 0.01), even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Conclusions: The study found a moderate level of dental fear among Bosnian schoolchildren, with younger children and those from urban areas showing more fear of injections. It also showed a consistent link between dental anxiety and clinical factors such as caries, gum disease, and oral hygiene, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

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Predictors of Dental Fear and Anxiety in 9-12-year-old Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cited by 4 publications

References 29 publications

Relationship between Children’s Lifestyle and Fear during Dental Visits: A Cross-Sectional Study

Relationship between Children’s Lifestyle and Fear during Dental Visits: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dental Anxiety Among Students of the University of Rijeka, Croatia

Prevalence of Dental Fear and Its Association with Oral Health Status Among School Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Cross-Sectional Study

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