Dental anxiety and the status of first permanent molars in 11 and 15 years old children

Abstract

Summary Introduction Fear of dental procedures is one of the main reasons for oral health neglect. The first permanent molars are functionally very important. Dental anxiety may compromise their health as well as the health of all other teeth. The aim of the study was to determine dental anxiety level and the status of first permanent molars in healthy school aged children. Methods This study included 105 students, 11 and 15 years of age, from two elementary schools in Foca (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), questionnaire was used to determine the level of dental fear in patients. The status of first permanent molars was recorded using Klein-Palmer DMFT (decayed, missing, filling teeth) system. The number of healthy first permanent molars (with or without sealant) was registered as well. Results More than one third of respondents involved in this study (33.3%), suffered from severe dental anxiety (DAS = 13–20 points). Statistically significant difference in answers to questions was not observed between respondents of different age but higher level of the fear was registered in girls compared to boys (p < 0.05). Less than 50% of all examined first permanent molars were healthy and sealed fissures were recorded in 9.4% of them. The percentage of decayed molars was about 11%, 7% extracted and 35% filled. Conclusion Application of prophylactic measures is beneficial for dental health preservation. They are pain free and can be used to minimize fear by establishing dentist-patient relationship based on confidence.