Method: Descriptive-correlational study, with purposive sampling. A Sample of 55 preschoolers (age range of 6 to 7 years). For the measurement of dental anxiety of the caregiver, Corah scale was used, while for measuring the child's dental anxiety scale was used FIS (Face Image Scale). For data analysis, descriptive statistics were used, and used the Spearman correlation coefficient for the association of variables.
Result: Caregivers was observed in an average score of 10.10 (SD 3.88) in the test Corah Dental Anxiety, categorized as restless behavior. Of the sample of caregivers, two had dental phobia, 13% severe anxiety, while 67% were relaxed or restless. In turn, the self-reported dental anxiety of preschool, 70,5% of the sample did not present dental anxiety scale according to the FIS, while only 3,3% of the sample showed high amounts of anxiety. When analyzing correlation is not observed an association between two variables (rho: 0.087, P< 0.05).
Conclusion:
There´s no relationship was found between dental anxiety levels reported by the child and the level of dental anxiety reported by the caregiver, so apparently the caregiver-child transmission isn´t a mechanism of generation of dental anxiety in the study sample.