Association between Dental Fear and Children’s Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Fahad Hegazi (), Nada Alghamdi, Danah Alhajri, Lulwah Alabdulqader, Danah Alhammad, Lama Alshamrani, Sumit Bedi and Sonali Sharma
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Fahad Hegazi: Preventive Dental Science Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Nada Alghamdi: Collage of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Danah Alhajri: Collage of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Lulwah Alabdulqader: Collage of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Danah Alhammad: Collage of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Lama Alshamrani: Collage of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Sumit Bedi: Preventive Dental Science Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
Sonali Sharma: Biomedical Dental Sciences Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between both parental dental fear and children’s dental fear and its impact on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of Saudi children in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Data on 93 individuals aged 7–12 years were collected using clinical examination and Arabic-validated questionnaires: the Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form (COHIP-SF19), and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule—Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to study the association between children’s fear and parental dental fear as well as the OHRQoL, while adjusting for certain confounders. Results: Overall, our multivariate analyses showed that children with high dental fear (CFSS-DS ≥ 38, p = 0.027) and a higher percentage of dental caries ( p = 0.013) had a significantly lower OHRQoL after adjusting for clinical and socio-demographic factors. Further, parental fear of dentists was significantly associated with children’s fear of dentists ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that children’s fear and dental caries are both associated with poorer OHRQoL. Further, parental dental fear about dentists was associated with children’s fear of dentists.

Keywords: OHRQoL; COHIP-SF19; CFSS-DS; children; dental phobia; dental experience; parents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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