Original scientific paper
Structural Analysis of Dental Fear in Children with and Without Dental Trauma Experience
Danko Bakarčić
Nataša Ivančić Jokić
Martina Majstorović
Ana Škrinjarić
Predrag Zarevski
Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate dental fear in children with and without dental injuries in a randomly selected
children in Croatia (59 girls and 88 boys). Children were divided into three groups depending on dental trauma experience.
They were also divided into two age groups: 5–8 and 9–12 years. Only dental trauma to the permanent teeth was included
in the study. The CFSS–DS, CDAS and CMFQ were used for evaluation of dental anxiety and the ISP Hollingshead
Index of Social Position was calculated for evaluation of social status. The mean values of CDAS, CFSS-DS
and CMFQ tests revealed that the anxiety level decreases with increasing experience of dental injury. The analysis of
variance performed for CDAS showed a significant difference between children with and without dental trauma (p=
0,010). Regarding the groups, the analysis of variance for CMFQ (p=0,021) and CFSS-DS (p=0,001) showed a significant
difference, as well as regarding age (CMFQ; p=0,001 and CFSS-DS; p=0,016). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients revealed
the highest reliability for CFSS-DS (a=0,910). Pearson’s correlation coefficients revealed significant correlations
between the anxiety scores, age and ISP values for children without dental trauma, and between the anxiety scores and
age for children with repeated dental trauma. The results of the ISP Hollingshead Index exhibited the highest frequency
in children with dental injuries who belonged to the families with poor social background (ISP=44–60). No significant
difference was obtained between children with and without dental injuries depending on either gender or the ISP value.
Keywords
dental anxiety; dental trauma; age; social status
Hrčak ID:
26878
URI
Publication date:
3.9.2007.
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