Investigating the relationship between medical and dental experience, attachment styles, and dental anxiety in children

The occurrence of anxiety in the child and the recurrence of this phenomenon in successive treatment sessions can affect the efficiency of dental processes and reduce the chances of treatment success. So this study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and dental anxiety in children aged 7 to 12 years. A sample of 95 individuals was selected by random sampling method and evaluated by Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS) (Wong, Humphris and Lee, 1988) and Kinship Center Attachment Questionnaire (KCAQ) (Kappenberg & Halpern 2006). To gauge experience, two questions were included to determine any negative experiences during dental and medical visits.

The information obtained from the samples was analyzed by SPSS 22 software. Pearson correlation for analysis was also used. The results showed dental anxiety in children is significantly and negatively correlated with positive adjustment development (p<0.05, r=-.213) and positively and significantly with distancing from caregiver support (p<0.05, r=.214). There is no significant correlation between dental anxiety with emotional reactivity and negative behaviors. The results also showed that children who have only bad experiences in dental offices have the highest mean of dental anxiety (M=28.8). Children's fear of dentistry is related to their attachment style to their caregivers, and they experience less fear if they have a positive attachment and more fear if they have an avoidant attachment. Bad experience in dental offices is related to dental anxiety in children during their next visits.