Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Parent-reported distress in children under 3 years old during preventive medical and dental care
T M Nelson1, C E Huebner, A Kim
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington, 6222 NE 74th Street, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, tmnelson@uw.edu.
Insights
Young children’s distress during dental visits is linked to their anxiety before the appointment and past medical experiences. Understanding these factors can help dental professionals prepare children for preventive oral health care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Child Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preventive oral health visits are crucial for young children's dental well-being.
- Child distress during dental appointments is a common concern for parents and dental professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors associated with distress in young children during preventive dental visits.
- To examine the relationship between children's behavior during dental visits and their behavior during prior medical visits.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 122 children under 3 years old receiving dental care at a university clinic.
- Parental ratings of child distress using a numerical scale before and during the dental examination.
Main Results:
- Nearly 40% of children experienced severe distress during the dental examination.
- Child distress was not associated with age, gender, dental history, or caregiver factors.
- Higher distress levels were linked to pre-examination anxiety and prior negative medical experiences.
Conclusions:
- Assessing pre-visit anxiety and past medical experiences can help predict and manage child distress.
- Implementing strategies to prepare children and parents may improve coping during preventive dental visits.
Purpose:
This study examined factors related to young children's distress during preventive oral health visits. Additionally, associations between parent-reported child behaviour during the dental visit and during previous medical visits were tested.
Methods:
One hundred twenty-two children under 3 years of age enrolled in a government insurance programme for low-income children were seen for examination, prophylaxis, and fluoride application at a university-based dental clinic. Child distress was rated by parents on a numerical rating scale.
Results:
The average age of children enrolled was 23.5 ± 7.3 months. The majority (55.7 %) were judged to have little or no distress pre-examination. Mild or no distress during the examination was reported for 42.6 % of the children and severe distress was reported for 39.4 %. Intensity of distress during the examination was not associated with the child's age, gender, dental health, or previous experience with dental care. Distress was also unrelated to the caregiver's education level or own dental health. Intensity of distress was associated with the child's pre-dental examination distress and distress during prior medical examinations and injections.
Conclusions:
Dental professionals can better anticipate child distress by assessing children before a dental examination and enquiring about previous medical experiences. Strategies to prepare parents and alleviate distress may help children cope with the preventive dental visit.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:23Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like...
01:17Assessment of apical pulse
Assessing the apical pulse is a critical nursing procedure, particularly indicated for:
01:21Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
01:24Data Reporting and Recording
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders