Association of Maternal and Child Dental Anxiety with Dental Caries Experience and Dental Attendance Pattern of the Child

Introduction: Children with early childhood caries may have dental anxiety. Maternal anxiety can influence the child dental anxiety. Aims and Objective: To explore the association of maternal and child dental anxiety with the dental caries experience and the dental attendance pattern of the child. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 227 mother-child dyads with children aged between 3 and 6 years. Mothers answered a questionnaire on dental attendance pattern. Corah's dental anxiety scale was used to assess maternal anxiety, and facial image scale was used to assess dental anxiety in children. The 'dmft' index of the child was recorded by a calibrated dentist. Statistical tests (Chi-square and Student's t-tests) were employed to analyze the data, and P < 0.05 was considered significant. Result: Maternal anxiety was significantly associated with the mean number of missing and filled teeth in children (P = 0.005; P < 0.001, respectively). Child anxiety was significantly associated with the mean number of missing teeth (P < 0.001), increased frequency of missed dental appointments (P = 0.003), and decreased the frequency of dental visits (P = 0.008). Conclusion: Both maternal and child dental anxiety can influence the dental caries experience of the child. The dental anxiety of the child can influence the dental attendance pattern.