The caregivers’ perception of dental fear and alternative technique for caries removal

Abstract

The aim of this study, was to Evaluate the caregivers’ perception of the predicting child dental fear factors and their acceptance of an alternative technique (ultra-sonic abrasion) for caries removal. A semi-structured questionnaire were answered by 162 caregivers of children attending in a public institution. The Mean of the children’s age was 9 years old, with predominance of boys (52.5%). Results showed that 73.5% liked going to the dentist, whereas 34% were nervous/anxious before the consultation. The majority of the caregivers thought it was important to study new methods for replacing the dental drill (p > 0.05), allowing ultra-sonic abrasion to be used (p > 0.05). One can conclude that approximately half of the children were scared or anxious during dental visit, and caregivers are receptive to the use of alternative techniques for caries removal.