Dental caries and psychosocial factors: Testing a conceptual model in adolescents.

Objectives: A conceptual model was designed to examine interrelations among psychosocial factors, oral health behaviour, and dental caries in a sample of adolescents.

Methods: This cross-sectional study design of 531 Greek families included an oral examination and a survey completed by adolescents, and a survey completed by mothers. The outcome measure was dental caries experience.

Dental School Patient Preferences for Receiving and Returning Patient Satisfaction Surveys.

The aims of this study were to investigate dental school patient, parent, and caregiver preferences for receiving and returning patient satisfaction surveys and to determine how modes of receiving and returning surveys impacted return rates. Two studies were conducted, both of which are reported. In Study 1, adult patients, parents of child patients, and caregivers of patients with special needs were asked to indicate their preferred mode of receiving and returning surveys.

Gagging prevalence and its association with dental fear in 4-12-year-old children in a dental setting.

Aim: The aims were to determine the prevalence of gagging in children in the dental setting, detect any association between gagging and dental fear in that setting, and determine if the association varied by type of setting.

Design: A total of 734 children (4-12 years old), seeking dental care either at a University paediatric dental clinic (UC) or at a private paediatric practice (PP), filled out the Greek version of the Gagging Assessment Scale (GAS, subjective assessment) and the Greek version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). The shorter form of the Gagging Problem Assessment-dentist part for children (GPA-de-c/SF, dentist's objective measurement) was used to assess their gag reflex.

The Greek version of the Gagging Assessment Scale in children and adolescents: psychometric properties, prevalence of gagging, and the association between gagging and dental fear.

Background: No studies assessing the association between gagging and dental fear are available in pediatric samples.

Aim: To assess the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Gagging Assessment Scale (GAS), to explore the prevalence of gagging, and to evaluate the relationship between gagging and dental fear in a pediatric sample.

Design: A total of 849 8- and 14-year-old children filled out a questionnaire consisting of demographic items, the Greek version of the GAS, and the Greek Children's Fear Survey Schedule Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS); the older children also completed the Greek version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS).

Publication bias & small-study effects in pediatric dentistry meta-analyses.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the presence and extent of publication bias and small-study effects in meta-analyses (MAs) investigating pediatric dentistry-related subjects.

Methods: Following a literature search, 46 MAs including 882 studies were analyzed qualitatively. Of these, 39 provided enough data to be re-analyzed.

Heart rate, salivary α-amylase activity, and cooperative behavior in previously naïve children receiving dental local anesthesia.

Purpose: Psychosomatic indicators, such as heart rate (HR), salivary alpha amylase (sAA) activity, and behavior, can be used to determine stress. This study's aim was to assess the pattern of changes of salivary alpha amylase, heart rate, and cooperative behavior in previously naïve children receiving dental treatment under local anesthesia.

Methods: Included were 30 children with no prior dental experience who needed 4 or more sessions of dental treatment involving local anesthesia.

Determinants of receiving intravenous sedation in a sample of dentally-fearful patients in the USA.

Dental fear may be the most common reason for referral for intravenous sedation. Intravenous sedation offers many patients an opportunity to obtain needed dental care. However, intravenous sedation also has costs and may not help patients overcome their fear.

Thinking about going to the dentist: a Contemplation Ladder to assess dentally-avoidant individuals' readiness to go to a dentist.

Background: The Transtheoretical Model suggests that individuals vary according to their readiness to change behavior. Previous work in smoking cessation and other health areas suggests that interventions are more successful when they are tailored to an individual's stage of change with regards to the specific behavior. We report on the performance of a single-item measure ("Ladder") to assess the readiness to change dental-avoidant behavior.

Additional psychometric data for the Spanish Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and psychometric data for a Spanish version of the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey.

Background: Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Previous work with the Spanish Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) yielded good validity, but lower test-retest reliability. We report the performance of the Spanish MDAS in a new sample, as well as the performance of the Spanish Revised Dental Beliefs Survey (R-DBS).

Comparison of acceptance, preference, and efficacy between jet injection INJEX and local infiltration anesthesia in 6 to 11 year old dental patients.

Needleless devices have been developed to provide anesthesia without injections. Little controlled research has examined the acceptability of needleless devices in pediatric patients. The aims of the study were to compare children's acceptance and preference for one type of needleless jet injection with classical local infiltration as well as to evaluate the efficacy of the needleless anesthesia.

The challenge of sedation with adolescents: case studies and clinical recommendations.

Adolescent dental patients pose a unique challenge to providers, particularly when intravenous sedation is introduced to the treatment plan. Surveys show many adolescents are afraid of the dentist. Five to six per cent overall are fearful of dental injections and may avoid care or have irregular attendance.

The Dental Neglect Scale in adolescents.

Background: Dental neglect has been found to be related to poor oral health, a tendency not to have had routine check-ups, and a longer period of time since the last dental appointment in samples of children and adults. The Dental Neglect Scale (DNS) has been found to be a valid measure of dental neglect in samples of children and adults, and may be valid for adolescents as well. We administered the DNS to a sample of adolescents and report on the relationships between the DNS and oral health status, whether or not the adolescent has been to the dentist recently for routine check-ups, and whether or not the adolescent currently goes to a dentist.

Psychometric properties of Greek versions of the Modified Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS).

Background: A growing body of literature describes the performance of dental fear questionnaires in various countries. We describe the psychometric properties of Greek versions of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) in adult Greek patients.

Methods: Greek versions of the MDAS and DFS were administered to two samples of adult dental patients.

Psychometric properties of Spanish-language adult dental fear measures.

Background: It would be useful to have psychometrically-sound measures of dental fear for Hispanics, who comprise the largest ethnic minority in the United States. We report on the psychometric properties of Spanish-language versions of two common adult measures of dental fear (Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, MDAS; Dental Fear Survey, DFS), as well as a measure of fear of dental injections (Needle Survey, NS).

Methods: Spanish versions of the measures were administered to 213 adults attending Hispanic cultural festivals, 31 students (who took the questionnaire twice, for test-retest reliability), and 100 patients at a dental clinic.

Reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale.

Background: The Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) is a commonly used questionnaire which measures children's dental fear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to gather data to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Greek version of the CFSS-DS.

Methods: A sample of 260 children aged 4-12 completed the Greek version of the CFSS-DS while in the waiting room of a paediatric dentist.

Using memory restructuring strategy to enhance dental behaviour.

Aims: This study sought to 'restructure' memory of dental treatment to help children develop positive memories and cooperate more fully with the dentist at future visits.

Design: The design compared 'usual care' plus an intervention designed to positively restructure memory with 'usual care' plus a control for 45 children, ages 6-9 years, who were in need of two restorative treatment visits. The intervention occurred at the second visit immediately before the dental treatment and focused on restructuring the child's memory of the first treatment visit.

Psychometric properties of the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey.

Objectives: The objectives of this pair of studies were to examine the internal reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey.

Methods: A total of 108 college students completed two questionnaires containing the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey, as well as the Revised Iowa Dental Control Index, and Desirability of Control scales. As part of another experiment, 141 study participants with dental injection phobia completed the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey and the Dental Anxiety Scale.

The Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale in Japan.

Objectives: The aims of this research are to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Dental Subscale of Children's Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS), and to examine the responses of children in the dental setting and in the community.

Methods: The CFSS-DS was translated into Japanese and administered to three samples. The first sample comprised 134 child patients aged 8-15 years, of whom 100 were assigned for test-retest analysis, and the behavior of the remaining 34 additional children were rated during their dental appointments, and compared with their questionnaire results.