Adding the Psychological Perspective to Traditional Prevention in Pediatric Dentistry by PaFein+ Project: Trained Parents Can Help

Background. Emotional implications of childhood dental encounters are very important on the long run. The aim of the study was to assess parents’ childhood dental memories and potential impact upon current attitudes towards dental treatment, and the perceived usefulness of an educational material on efficient psychological management of child’s dental visit. Method: An educational booklet was produced. Parents were encouraged to read it and subsequently fill a brief questionnaire. Answers were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: During the first month, 142 parents (88% moms) filled the questionnaire; 44.4% reported negative childhood dental experiences (mothers ss more, p< 0.001); 18.3% had shared these experiences with their children. Dental encoun-ters-related emotional discomfort of various degrees was reported by 61.3% (38.7% a little, 5.6% some, 13.4 % pretty much, 3.5% a lot). The self-reported level of dental anxiety was ss correlated to childhood negative experiences (p< 0.001). Parents’ level of education influenced criteria for choosing a dentist for their children: parents with higher education were ss more likely to choose a certified pedodontist rather than a closer-to-home dentist (p=0.002). Most respondents (97.9%) felt the provided educational material will, to var-iable extent, help them manage their children’s dental visits better in the future (28.2% very much; 44.4% a lot) and 91.6% would share it with other parents /families. Conclu-sions. Childhood dental fear does not necessarily fade away with time. Parents need and appreciate initiatives that enable them manage their children’s dental encounters in a positive supportive way, thus avoiding early onset of dental fear/anxiety.