Psychological foundations of dental health education in children.

A mechanism of psychological repression is invoked to explain the unsatisfactory results of current forms of health education. We are not conscious of the multiplicity of dangers which constantly surround us, including dangers to our health, which also fall victim to this repression. Particularly powerful motivation is required to overcome this situation. In an experiment, communications which aroused excessive fear resulted in much more effective repression than less frightening one. Particular attention must therefore be devoted to the intensity of fear arousal. Potentially promising ways of motivating individual age groups are presented. Attention is drawn to error frequently observed. Treatment of the recumbent child must be avoided until a firm psychic relationship exists between the child and the dentist, as everything that "comes from above' appears threatening to the child. Much more psychological knowledge should be imparted not only to doctors and dentists but also to teachers and parents.