Dental anxiety in schoolchildren with molar incisor hypomineralization-A population-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Identifying patients with high levels of DA helps to define the most adequate oral healthcare strategy, especially for pediatric patients.

AIM

To investigate the association between parental reports of dental anxiety (DA) and molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in schoolchildren.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of 731 8-year-old schoolchildren from the city of Curitiba, Brazil, who were clinically examined (k ≥ 0.75) for the diagnosis of MIH and dental caries using the EAPD criteria and dmft/DMFT index, respectively. Parents/guardians reported children's DA using the Dental Anxiety Question (DAQ) and answered a self-administered structured questionnaire addressing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Associations were evaluated using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

A significant association was found between DA and MIH (PR = 1.20; 95%CI: 1.01-1.42; P = 0.038), but this association lost its significance when adjusted for the other characteristics (PR = 1.13; 95%CI: 0.93-1.38; P = 0.215). Caries experience in primary teeth was associated with lower levels of DA (PR = 0.83; 95%CI: 0.71-0.96; P = 0.0013). The most recent visit to the dentist due to pain increased the levels of DA (PR = 1.18; 95%CI: 1.07-1.30; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of MIH in schoolchildren was not associated with parental reports of DA.