Relationship between subjective and objective measures of anticipatory anxiety prior to extraction procedures in 8- to 12-year-old children
Namita Kalra, Puja Sabherwal, Rishi Tyagi, Amit Khatri, Shruti Srivastava
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study assessed anticipatory dental anxiety levels among 8- to 12-year-old children based on subjective and physiological measures and their correlation. The variations in anxiety based on sex, age, temperament, and academic performance were evaluated. METHODS: ], and blood pressure [BP]) were recorded by another evaluator. The correlation between anxiety levels and physiological variables was also assessed. The effects of age, sex, temperament, and academic performance on anxiety were evaluated. RESULTS: = -0.40, P < 0.05). Anxiety did not influence diastolic BP. Children with difficult temperament and poor academic performance had significantly higher anxiety. CONCLUSION: were significantly associated with high levels of anticipatory dental anxiety. Pre-extraction anxiety was significantly related to the temperament and scholastic performance.