Abstract:

Dental anxiety is a particular form of general anxiety and includes physiological, cognitive, and behavioral components. It can be defined as fear of dental stimuli and procedures, often resulting in significant stress or avoidance. Dental anxiety is a common issue that can affect people of all ages and frequently emerges during childhood and adolescence. This review aims to assess the studies that evaluate the parent-child dental anxiety relationship. In the studies, it is seen that a positive correlation can be determined between the children's and parents' dental anxieties. The relationship between parental and child dental fear was found to be significant in children under the age of eight. It was observed that children of parents with high dental anxiety displayed more negative behaviors during dental treatments, whereas children of parents with low dental anxiety showed more positive behaviors. It has been reported that by reducing parental dental anxiety, dental anxiety in children can be prevented or alleviated.

Keywords: