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Dental dread isn’t just a solo act- a mother’s dental anxiety can impact both her oral health and her child’s dental fears and hygiene, so prioritizing good hygiene helps alleviate fears and promote healthier smiles for all.
As primary caregivers, mothers play a crucial role in shaping their children's health-related behaviours, including their approach to dental care. New research published in 'BMC Oral Health' explored the connections between a mother's dental anxiety and her child's oral health.
Ekin Besiroglu-Turgut et al. conducted this cross-sectional study and analyzed 305 first-time dental patients (aged 4 to 12 years) and their mothers. They used questionnaires and dental anxiety scales, a modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) for mothers and the Venham Picture Test (VPT) for children to gather data. Oral health was measured by gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), and count of decayed, lost, and filled teeth (DMFT). In children aged 8–12, a notable association was observed between the dental anxiety of the mother and that of the child.
For younger kids (4–7 years), the correlation was weaker. Meaningful connections were found between the oral health of mothers (PI, GI, DMFT) and dental anxiety in children (VPT). While the oral health of younger children was not significantly impacted by their mothers' dental anxiety, there was a noticeable correlation between maternal anxiety and the DMFT scores of older children.
A mother’s dental anxiety greatly affects her child’s dental anxiety and oral health, with the impact becoming more pronounced with age.
BMC Oral Health
Evaluation of the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health status of mothers and their children
Ekin Besiroglu-Turgut et. Al.
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