The impact of childhood XXXX on dental fear.

@entity1 @entity458
OBJECTIVE: Dental fear is a risk factor for poor oral health. Thus, treatment of dental fear is a challenge to dentists. The consequences of childhood @entity458 (CSA) may include dental fear. A history of CSA complicates dental fear treatment, and it is often a secret. The aim of this study was to explore differences in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, experiences of dental treatment situations, dental appearance and dental problems in @entity1 who report both CSA and dental fear, and @entity1 who report dental fear only. METHODS: In an anonymous survey, 58 @entity1 with dental fear and a history of CSA were compared with 25 @entity1 with dental fear without CSA. Twenty-five @entity1 without dental fear acted as a control group. RESULTS: No differences between dental fear @entity1 with and without a history of CSA were found in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, dental appearance and dental problems, or in the scores on the Dental Fear Scale (DFS). @entity1 who reported a history of CSA and dental fear had statistically significant higher scores on the Dental Belief Scale (DBS). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that @entity1 who report dental fear and a history of CSA assess interpersonal factors concerning communication, trust, fear of negative information and lack of control as more fear evoking than @entity1 who report dental fear without a history of CSA.
