The assessment of two dental anxiety rating scales for children

A major problem in studying anxiety is the quantification of the emotion. Perhaps the most utilized method of assessing a child's anxiety in the dental situation involves the use of rating scales. This study tested the validity and reliability of published Complex and Simple rating scales by using them in a test-retest, inter-observer assessment, with standard video-recordings of children undergoing dental treatment. Three dental professionals, a dental surgeon and two dental surgery assistants, tended to equate a child's dental anxiety with his ability to accept dental treatment. The use of rating scales needs practice and experience, as some of the components are more difficult to interpret, involving dimensions of mood or ambiguity.