Dental Anxiety and Oral Health Quality of Life in Parents
Author Information
Author(s): Yang Lily, Suominen Auli, Palo Katri, Kataja Eeva-Leena, Pohjola Vesa, Ogawa Mika, Karlsson Linnea, Karlsson Hasse, Laakkonen Eero, Lahti Satu, Malmstrom Hans S.
Primary Institution: University of Turku
Hypothesis
Stable high dental anxiety is associated with stable poor OHRQoL, and decreased dental anxiety with the improvement of OHRQoL.
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for targeted interventions to treat high dental anxiety and improve oral health outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- Overall, OHRQoL decreased in all dental anxiety trajectory groups except the High decreasing group in mothers and fathers.
- The decline in overall OHRQoL was greatest in the Stable high trajectory group for both parents.
- In fathers, OHRQoL increased considerably but not statistically significantly in the High decreasing trajectory group.
Takeaway
Parents who are very anxious about dental visits tend to have worse oral health-related quality of life, and helping them feel less anxious can make their dental health better.
Methodology
The study used longitudinal data from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, measuring dental anxiety and OHRQoL at multiple time points.
Potential Biases
The sample may not fully represent the general population due to selection bias.
Limitations
Different follow-up periods for dental anxiety trajectories and changes in OHRQoL may affect the results.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 998 mothers and 513 fathers, with varying levels of education.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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