Fear and anxiety of parents associated with child behavior during endodontic treatment in patients aged 3 to 6 years

Abstract

Background: During pediatric dental treatment, many times it is not considered that fear and anxiety of the parents can condition a certain behavior of the patient. Objective: To evaluate the fear and anxiety of parents with child behavior during endodontic treatment in children aged 3 to 6 years treated at the National Institute of Child Health in 2020. Materials and methods: Analytical and cross-sectional study, with a sample of 325 child patients between 3 to 6 years old and 325 parents. A data collection form was used where the affiliation data and two reliable instruments were collected: the dental fears questionnaire and the Corah anxiety scale, both were applied to the parents. The children underwent endodontic treatment after a definitive diagnosis and informed consent of the parents, and their behavior was evaluated using the Frankl scale. Results: Most were 5-year-old children (29.8%), male (52%). Parents presented medium or high dental fear (82.2%), presented low anxiety (44%). There is an inverse relationship between parental fear and anxiety and child behavior during endodontic treatment in children aged 3 to 6 years. Conclusion: The anxiety and dental fear that parents experience negatively influences the collaboration of children during endodontic treatment.