Temperament and child dental fear

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Child Temperament Research
• Dental Anxiety Studies

Background:

• Dental fear is a significant issue in pediatric dentistry, impacting treatment adherence and oral health outcomes.
• Temperament, referring to innate behavioral and emotional tendencies, may play a role in the development of dental fear.
• Understanding the interplay between temperament and dental fear is crucial for effective behavior management in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between specific temperamental traits and the presence of dental fear in children.
• To explore the association between temperament and dental behavior-management problems.
• To identify children at risk for developing dental fear based on their temperament.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted with 124 Swedish children aged 5-7 and 10-12 years, categorized into fearful and non-fearful groups.
• Dental fear was assessed using the Children's Fear Survey Schedule Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the Children's Dental Fear Picture test (CDFP).
• Temperament was evaluated using the Emotionality, Activity, Sociability (EAS) Temperamental Survey, focusing on negative emotionality, shyness, sociability, and activity.

Main Results:

• Children with dental fear demonstrated statistically significant higher scores in shyness compared to normative Swedish data.
• A comparison between fearful and non-fearful children within the study revealed significantly higher scores for shyness and negative emotionality in the fearful group.
• These findings indicate a clear link between specific temperamental characteristics and the experience of dental fear.

Conclusions:

• Shyness and negative emotionality are identified as key temperamental risk factors for developing dental fear in children.
• Early identification of children exhibiting these traits is recommended for proactive intervention and management of dental fear.
• This research contributes to a better understanding of the psychological underpinnings of dental anxiety in pediatric populations.