Dental Anxiety in Children: Associations with Caries Experience, Periodontal Status, and Maternal Anxiety

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between dental anxiety, dental caries, periodontal health, and maternal dental anxiety in children aged 6-12 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 185 children and their accompanying mothers participated in this study. The children had an oral examination utilizing the Decayed, Missing, and Filled teeth (DMFT) Index as well as the Plaque Index (PI) and the Gingival Index (GI). After the oral examination, the children completed the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). The mothers completed a socioeconomic questionnaire and Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors influencing dental anxiety in children. Results: The mean CFSS-DS score of the children was 26.88 ± 8.47 points. Thirty-three children exhibited dental anxiety, and the top 3 items with the highest CFSS-DS scores were fear of injections, the dentist’s drilling, and the dentist. When participants were divided into the Dental Anxiety group and the non-Dental Anxiety group, significant differences were observed in age (p=0.03), DMFT/dmft (p<0.001), PI (p=0.01), GI (p<0.001), and the gingivitis rate (p<0.001). MDAS value did not differ between the groups (p=0.448). According to the logistic regression analysis, dmft/DMFT (OR = 1.116, 95% CI=1.01-1.23, p=0.031) values were found to be the most effective factors on dental anxiety in children. Conclusion: Higher caries experience significantly increased the likelihood of dental anxiety in children, accompanied by worse plaque, gingival status, and gingivitis rates. These findings underscore the importance of addressing dental anxiety early in childhood to promote oral health.