STRESS IN THE DENTAL CHAIR: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLES OF PARENTAL STRESS AND CHILD PREPARATION By

Stress in the Dental Chair 2 In the current study, relations between parental dental fear and dental anxiety, the level of preparation of the child for a biannual dental exam, and the observable stress experienced by the child during the visit were investigated. Child and parent participants were patients at a local pediatric dental practice. Parents completed paper-pencil questionnaires, consisting of items regarding demographic information, a parental dental fear measure, a parental dental anxiety measure, and a questionnaire with items relating to the preparation of the child prior to the dental visit through parental disclosure. Dental assistants completed a measure of observed child stress during the visit. The results supported the hypothesis that higher scores of parental dental fear and parental dental anxiety would be correlated with higher ratings of observed child stress. Also, as hypothesized, parental reports of some preparation prior to the dental visit were correlated with higher ratings of child stress. The results of this study support the findings of prior research, emphasizing the importance of parental influence on the experience of the child and the ability of the child to cope in the face of potentially stressful situations