Prevalence of dental anxiety in children and adolescents globally: A systematic review with meta‐analyses

Abstract

Background Dental anxiety (DA) negatively impacts oral health–related quality of life, and patients with DA usually require more dental treatment time. Aim To describe the global prevalence of DA in children and adolescents and to examine the influence of individual factors (age, sex, and caries experience) and variables related to DA measurement on pooled prevalence. Design Systematic review with meta‐analyses of observational studies published between 1985 and 2020 (PROSPERO CRD42014013879). Results Searches yielded 1207 unique records; 224 full‐text articles were screened, and 50 studies were used in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. No study was considered as having high methodological quality according to ‘The Joanna Briggs Institute assessment tool’. Overall pooled DA prevalence was 23.9% (95% CI 20.4, 27.3). Pooled prevalence in preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents was as follows: 36.5% (95% CI 23.8, 49.2), 25.8% (95% CI 19.5, 32.1), and 13.3% (95% CI 9.5, 17.0), respectively. DA was significantly more prevalent in preschool children (one study) and schoolchildren (two studies) with caries experience and in female adolescents (one study). The scale used for DA assessment was shown to influence pooled prevalence in preschoolers and adolescents. Conclusion DA is a frequent problem in 3‐ to 18‐year‐olds worldwide, more prevalent in schoolchildren and preschool children than in adolescents.

Does Dental Fear in Children Predict Untreated Dental Caries? An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

“…One explanation could be that, because of fear, children are reluctant to go to the dentist, thereby increasing the likelihood of suffering from dental caries. During the analysis, the models were adjusted for other significant confounding variables, and the precision of the findings was better than the earlier studies [ 4 , 10 ]. Moreover, very few of the earlier reports had explored dental fear as a predictor for dental caries.…”

“…In children, fear of dentists and dental treatments is significantly associated with delay in oral health care, most often due to increased frequency of appointment cancellations [ 2 , 3 ]. Though there is a noticeable difference between the terms dental fear (DF), dental anxiety (DA), and dental phobia (DP) [ 4 ], the usual fear of dentists and dental treatments in children is an important issue that needs attention. A report aggregated findings from 50 studies and estimated that nearly 23.9% of children fear dentists or dental treatments [ 4 ].…”

“…Though there is a noticeable difference between the terms dental fear (DF), dental anxiety (DA), and dental phobia (DP) [ 4 ], the usual fear of dentists and dental treatments in children is an important issue that needs attention. A report aggregated findings from 50 studies and estimated that nearly 23.9% of children fear dentists or dental treatments [ 4 ]. More preschoolers (36.5%) had experienced dental fear, followed by schoolchildren (25.8%) and adolescents (13.3%) [ 4 ].…”

“…A report aggregated findings from 50 studies and estimated that nearly 23.9% of children fear dentists or dental treatments [ 4 ]. More preschoolers (36.5%) had experienced dental fear, followed by schoolchildren (25.8%) and adolescents (13.3%) [ 4 ]. If unaddressed, there could be further increases in the burden of oral health problems in children due to delayed dental visits, which may in turn negatively impact their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and wellbeing [ 5 ].…”

“…Studies reveal that the fear of dentists and dental treatments in Saudi Arabian children is common, and is reported more in girls than boys [ 9 ]. Two recent systematic reviews state that the recent cross-sectional studies investigating the association between dental fear and oral health status in children did not recruit the participants randomly, did not adjust for oral hygiene practices, and the confidence intervals of the findings were wider, making it difficult to draw conclusions [ 4 , 10 ]. Additionally, there is no study that has explored the association between dental fear and caries status of schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia.…”