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Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 55. No. 2., 2016.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2016.55.02.12

Dental fear in children with repeated tooth injuries

Dubravka Negovetić Vranić ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Nataša Ivančić Jokić ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka University Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia
Danko Bakarčić ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka University Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia
Andreja Carek ; Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Rotim ; Private Dental Offi ce, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Verzak ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

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Abstract

Tooth injuries are serious clinical conditions. Some children experience dental trauma only once, while others are more prone to repeated tooth injuries. Repeated dental trauma occurs in 19.4% to 30% of patients. Pain and dental trauma are the most common reasons for fear and anxiety. The main objective of this study was to investigate how dental trauma, as well as repeated dental trauma affects the occurrence and development of dental fear in children. The study was conducted on a random sample of 147 subjects (88 boys and 59 girls) aged 5-8 and 9-12 years. Subjects in both age groups were divided into subroups without dental trauma, with one dental trauma and with repeated dental trauma. The validated Children’s Fear Survey Schedule – Dental Subscale was used on fear assessment. Results showed that only 12.2% of children without trauma, 33.3% with one trauma and 51.7% with repeated trauma were not afraid of injection. Older children had a significantly lower fear of injections, touch of an unknown person, choking, going to the hospital and people in white uniforms. Dentist was not the cause of fear in 65.5% of patients with repeated trauma. With each repeated injury of teeth, the degree of their fear of dental treatment was lower.

Keywords

Tooth injuries; Child; Fear; Dental anxiety

Hrčak ID:

164859

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/164859

Publication date:

1.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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