Modified Dental Anxiety Scale for Preadaolescents: Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to analyse the individual factors and environmental factors related to dental anxiety among preadolescents for better comprehension of its structure and pattern. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires with locally modified Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) to measure individual factors related to dental anxiety were used among Turkish, private elementary-school children aged 9-10 (n=69). The questionnaires were completed by 63 children at school under the supervision of teachers RESULTS: The Cronbach coefficients alpha and nonadditivity measures were calculated and were acceptable for verbal measures (α==0.8 , P= nonadditivity is .1). DAS was strongly and negatively correlated with child toothbrushing frequency (r_s=-0.365**), child dental visit frequency (r_s=-0.354**), and positively with frequency of parental sweet giving (r_s=0.369*). CONCLUSIONS: Analysing factors affecting dental anxiety with a holistic perspective might provide a valuable tool for providing more effective dental treatment among preadolescents.