Dentistry journal
Exploring the Association Between Parenting Styles, Dental Anxiety, and Dental Caries Experience Among Children Attending a University Dental Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study
By Padmanabhan V, Islam MS, Hashim NT and 4 others.
Abstract
Background
Parenting style may influence children's oral health behaviours and responses to dental care, but its joint relationship with dental anxiety and caries has rarely been examined. This study assessed these associations and whether dental anxiety mediated the association between parenting style and caries experience.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 143 children aged 6-12 years attending a university pediatric dental clinic in the United Arab Emirates were assessed using a 30-item adaptation of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and the DMFT/dmft index. Mediation was tested in a single bootstrapped model containing all three parenting dimensions, age, and sex.