Impact of Children Dental Fear on Quality of Life Among Urban and Peri Urban School Children

摘要

Dental fear is the most expressed feeling by children during dental visit and can arise through observation of an unpleasant object and is instinctively avoided by children in an attempt to protect themselves from harm. This consequently often be a reason to ignore dental visit. Quality of life has been generally used to describe the impact of oral health conditions and dental care on children. The differences of environmental characteristics between urban and periurban can contribute to oral health or quality of life related to oral health. To assess the impact of children dental fear on quality of life among urban and peri urban school children. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 278 children aged 8-10 years old who came from urban and periurban elementary school. Children dental fear was assessed using Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and quality of life was assessed using Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10). Data were analysed using SPSS Version 25.0 and descriptive statistics and linear regression were used (P<0.05). Statistical test results showed that children dental fear have significant impact on all domains quality of life that are oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well being, and social well being, both in urban and periurban school children with P value<0.001. Children dental fear have significant impact on quality of life among urban and periurban school children.