[Study of the consistency for three means to evaluate children's dental fear]

To compare the consistency of three means evaluating children's dental fear.

90 children with carious lesions into dentin in primary molars were divided into three groups in randomization: chemomechanical group, atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and traditional rotary instrument group. The dental fear was evaluated by physiological measure, behavioral measure and projective test at the same time, and the results were compared to eluciate the consistency of the three methods. The data was analyzed by SPSS11.5 software package, using ANOVA, Chi square test and Kruskal-Wallis test, respectively.

Physiological measure found the degree of dental fear in traditional group was the highest, and that in ART group was the lowest. Projective test showed the ratio of the degree of dental fear was 43.3%, 17.2% and 16.1% in traditional group, chemomechanical group and ART group respectively. The difference between traditional group and ART was significant (P < 0.05), and the same between traditional group and chemomecanical group (P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found between ART group and chemomechanical group (P > 0.05). Behavior measure found the degree of dental fear in traditional group was the highest, and that in chemomechanical group was the lowest. The difference between traditional group and ART was significant (P < 0.05), and that between traditional group and chemomechanical group was significant, too (P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found between ART group and chemomechanical group (P > 0.05).

The three means evaluating children's dental fear were of consistency.