Identified factors in child-dentist relationship important for the management of dental anxiety in Nigerian children.

AIM

To investigate the effects and interrelationship between dental anxiety and dentist's experience, dentist's behaviour, type of treatment received and the behaviour of Nigerian children during treatment.

METHODS

Pre- and post-dental treatment anxiety levels of 69 child patients, who were attending the dental clinic to receive dental treatment for the first time, were assessed using the DFSS-SF. The dentist's and child's behaviour during treatment procedures were unobtrusively observed and recorded. The pre- treatment anxiety levels were classified as high (HAC) and low (LAC), while those of the dentists who managed the children were categorized as experience or inexperienced. The interrelationship between a child's dental anxiety level, dentist's behaviour during child management, dentist's experience and the type of treatment the child received were analysed.

RESULTS

The anxiety level of the children decreased significantly post-treatment when experienced dentists managed the child in comparison to inexperienced dentists (Z=3.22, p<0.02). The dentist's behaviour did not significantly affect the anxiety level of the child. However, physical contact was used more frequently with HAC than LAC (z=2.27;p<0.023). There was no association between a child's behaviour in the dental chair and their anxiety level (chi(2)=0.08, p<0.93). Also, the more invasive the procedure, the less the tendency for a noted decrease in anxiety level of a child post-treatment, though this was statistically insignificant (z=1.34; p<0.44).

CONCLUSION

The dentist's behaviour played no role in changing the anxiety level of a child nor did it have any influence on anxiety-related behaviour of a child. However, the experience of the dentist was a very significant factor for effecting a decrease in the dental anxiety level change for children.