The moderating role of dental expectancies on the relationship between cognitive vulnerability and dental fear in children and adolescents

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dc.contributor.authorCarrillo-Diaz, M.
dc.contributor.authorCrego, A.
dc.contributor.authorArmfield, J.
dc.contributor.authorRomero, M.
dc.contributor.organisationAustralian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH)
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstract<h4>Objective</h4>Recently, cognitive approaches have been successfully applied to the understanding of child dental anxiety. Our study aimed to analyze the interplay between cognitive variables and their associations with dental fear. In particular, we proposed that the observed relationship between dental treatment-related cognitive vulnerability (i.e., uncontrollability, unpredictability, dangerousness, and disgustingness appraisals) and dental fear is moderated by the expectancies of the probability and aversiveness of negative events during dental treatments.<h4>Methods</h4>A questionnaire survey was conducted with data obtained from 179 participants (8-18 years, 55.9% female) who attended 12 randomly selected educational establishments in Madrid (Spain).<h4>Results</h4>Dental fear was associated with an irregular pattern of dental visits. As expected, cognitive vulnerability was strongly linked to dental anxiety. For those children who expected a lower likelihood of negative dental events or appraised them in a less aversive way, the relationship between cognitive vulnerability and fear was attenuated.<h4>Conclusions</h4>As dental fear and oral health are connected, the prevention and reduction of dental fear among children and adolescents might be a worthwhile target for public health interventions. Our study sheds some light on how this could be achieved, that is, by modifying the children's vulnerability appraisals as well as their fearful dental expectancies.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityMaría Carrillo-Díaz, Antonio Crego, Jason Armfield and Martín Romero
dc.identifier.citationCommunity Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2013; 41(3):269-278
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/cdoe.12009
dc.identifier.issn0301-5661
dc.identifier.issn1600-0528
dc.identifier.orcidArmfield, J. [0000-0001-7962-7559] [0000-0002-3223-8860]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/79089
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBlackwell Munksgaard
dc.rights© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12009
dc.subjectcognitions
dc.subjectdental fear
dc.subjectdental visits
dc.subjectexpectancies
dc.titleThe moderating role of dental expectancies on the relationship between cognitive vulnerability and dental fear in children and adolescents
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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