/ J of IMAB. 2013, vol. 19, issue 4/ http://www.journal-imab-bg.org 435 THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL PRESENCE ON THE DENTAL ANXIETY DURING CLINICAL EXAMINATION IN CHILDREN AGED 6-12 YEARS Maria Shindova, Ani Belcheva Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University – Plovdiv, Bulgaria Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers) 2013, vol. 19, issue 4 ISSN: 1312-773X (Online) SUMMARY The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of parental presence on dental anxiety in children aged 6-12 years during clinical examination measuring subjective and objective parameters of stress. The study was conducted on 48 randomly selected 6- 12-years-old children, divided into two subgroups. Children in subgroup I were examined in parental presence and in subgroup II in parental absence. The dental anxiety degree was assessed using a combination of objective and subjective parameters including heart rate, oxygen saturation and self- report anxiety rating. In each subgroup the mean heart rate is lowest on the dental chair before the examination and highest during the clinical examination itself with statistically significant difference (p<0.001). The self-report anxiety ratings are higher before the examination and lower after it in each subgroup with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). The heart rate, oxygen saturation and self-report anxiety ratings show no significant differences between the two subgroups (p>0.05). The most anxiety provoking situation was found to be the time of the clinical oral examination itself. After facing the stressful factor the anxiety degree reduces considerably. Parental presence or absence in the treatment room has no impact on anxiety level of children aged 6-12 years during their clinical examination. Key words: parent, anxiety, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, scale INTRODUCTION Dental anxiety can be defined as a feeling of apprehension about dental treatment, which is not necessarily connected to a specific external stimulus. It may lead to avoidance of dental care, increasing the risk of caries development and oral diseases [1]. Dentists have a wide variety of techniques available to them to assist management of child with anxiety [2]. The assessment of dental anxiety before dental treatment will help the dentist to facilitateproper technique for anxiety management. There are four types of dental anxiety assessing scales in children are: psychometric scales, projective techniques, behavior evaluation and physiological measures [3]. In using a self-report measurement technique, only the cognitive component of the dental anxiety construct is covered [4]. Objective stress parameters can be obtained by measuring pulse rate, breath rate, skin resistance, blood pressure [5]. There is a debate on effect of parental presence in treatment room on children‘s dental anxiety. Studies in this research area conducted in children of different ages reported conflicting results [6-11]. Most children respond positively when their parent is in the treatment room [11, 12]. Occasionally, the presence of parent has a negative effect on the necessary communication between the child and the dentist [13]. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of parental presence on dental anxiety in children aged 6-12 years during clinical examination measuring subjective and objective parameters of stress. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted on forty-eight 6-12-years-old children (mean age = 7.79±1.7 years). A convenience sample of children was randomly selected from patients treated at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry in Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University - Plovdiv, Bulgaria during the period May - September 2013. The inclusion criteria were: - the children aged 6-12 years; - signed informed consent form from the parent; - native language of the child - Bulgarian. The exclusion criteria were: - children with systemic diseases or physiological development delays; - children with mental or cognitive problems; - children undergoing medical treatment that might affect heart rate; - children treated under general anaesthesia; - present infectious diseases such as influenza, scarlet fever, etc. The selected children were divided into two subgroups. http://dx.doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2013194.435