Assessment of the level of dental anxiety in 10-12 year-old students in Shahr-e-kord city in 2012

AbstractIntroduction: A child’s anxiety during dental therapy can lead to lack of cooperation, hindering or even preventing the therapy. This study was carried out to evaluate the level of anxiety caused by different dental procedures in 10‒12 year-old children in Shahr-e-kord city.Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, the level of anxiety caused by dental therapy was evaluated in 583 students, aged 10‒12 years, who were selected by random multiple-stage sampling technique. Data was collected through Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale Figurated (MCDASF). Data was statistically analyzed with SPSS 16. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and analytical methods with t-test, Freedman test and independent t-test (α=0.05).Results: The mean of the level of anxiety for students with previous dental visits was 2.58±0.91 (from 5), with 2.68 for girls and 2.49 for boys, which are considered lower than the average (p value < 0.001). The dental procedures in terms of the level of anxiety they cause are ranked as follows: anesthetic injection, extraction, filling and polishing. Anxiety levels were significantly higher in girls compared to boys (p value < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study the level of dental anxiety in 10‒12 year-old children of Shahr-e-kord was low to moderate. It was higher in girls in comparison with boys. The highest level of fear occurs during anesthetic injection and the lowest occurs during polishing of the teeth.Key words: Anxiety, Child, Dentistry