CORRELATION BETWEEN CARIES EXPERIENCE AND ANXIETY TO DENTIST IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

유치원 아동의 우식경험도와 치과의사에 대한 불안의 상관성

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the caries experience and anxiety level to the dentist in the preschool children. 511 preschool children were brought to the dental hospital and examined for caries experience. Caries experience was measured as dDT index, fFT index, dDfFT index, dDT rate, and fFT rate. Children were requested to draw a dentist. Drawings were analyzed by the method of Human Figure Drawing Anxiety Score. Pearson correlation coefficents and their significance were calculated between caries experience and anxiety scores. There were significant negative correlation between fFT index and anxiety scores, between dDfFT index and anxiety scores, and between fFT rate and anxiety scores. There was significant positive correlation between dDT rate and anxiety scores. The results seemed to suggest that dental treatment experience reduced children's anxiety toward dentists. But, because there was obvious negative correlation between age and anxiety scores, age factor should be considered in the interpretation of the results.