Oral health with focus on dental fear and dental caries in Swedish preschool child populations attending public dental health care: Trends over 30 years

Objectives

To study changes in oral health with focus on reported dental fear prevalence and interrelationships between dental fear and prevalence of dental caries and performed restorative dental treatment in preschool child populations attending regular public dental health care between 1983 and 2013.

Methods

Every 10 years, random samples of about 100 children aged 3 and 5 years, respectively, took part in cross-sectional studies based on oral examination and a questionnaire. One question, put to the child and answered by the parent, mirrored dental fear: “What do you feel at the prospect of an appointment with a dentist?”. Agreement to at least one of three alternatives, ill at ease, frightened and sick, indicated dental fear. Frightened and/or sick mirrored severe dental fear. 79%–94% of the samples answered the question and constituted the study group. Prevalence of caries and number of filled tooth surfaces were recorded. Dental parameters were presented in mean values.

Results

During the 30 years, dental fear prevalence was fairly constant. 21% of 3-year-olds and 15% of 5-year-olds reported dental fear in 2013. Positive relationships between dental fear prevalence and caries prevalence and number of filled tooth surfaces were found. Dental caries was reduced during the study time, but to a lesser degree in children with dental fear compared to children without dental fear.

Conclusions

Although children were offered public dental health care, the prevalence of dental fear remained high. Children with dental fear are caries risk individuals.