Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study
Background: Assessing anxiety is an important part of the assessment of a child presenting for dental treatment; however, the use of dental anxiety scales in practice is not well-documented. Aims: To introduce child dental anxiety scales, and to monitor the extent to which dentists used them; to...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2018
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49759/ |
| _version_ | 1848798071572398080 |
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| author | Alshammasi, Hussain Buchanan, Heather Ashley, Paul |
| author_facet | Alshammasi, Hussain Buchanan, Heather Ashley, Paul |
| author_sort | Alshammasi, Hussain |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Assessing anxiety is an important part of the assessment of a child presenting for dental treatment; however, the use of dental anxiety scales in practice is not well-documented.
Aims: To introduce child dental anxiety scales, and to monitor the extent to which dentists used them; to explore the experience and views of dentists regarding anxiety assessment.
Design: A mixed-methods design was employed.
Method: A protocol for child anxiety assessment was introduced to paediatric dentists in Eastman Dental Hospital. After 6 months, 100 patient files were audited to examine compliance with the protocol. Fourteen dentists were interviewed to explore their experience and views regarding anxiety assessment.
Results: Only five patients were assessed using the scales. Thematic analysis of the dentist interviews revealed three themes: ‘Clinical observations and experience: The gold standard’; ‘Scales as an estimate or adjunct’; and ‘Shortcomings and barriers to using scales’.
Conclusions: The dentists in our study did not use anxiety scales, instead they rely on their own experience/judgement. Therefore, scales should be recommended as an adjunct to judgement. Brief scales are recommended as clinicians lack time and expertise in administering anxiety questionnaires. Advantages of using scales and hands-on experience could be incorporated more in undergraduate training. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:13:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-49759 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:13:57Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-497592020-05-04T19:52:52Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49759/ Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study Alshammasi, Hussain Buchanan, Heather Ashley, Paul Background: Assessing anxiety is an important part of the assessment of a child presenting for dental treatment; however, the use of dental anxiety scales in practice is not well-documented. Aims: To introduce child dental anxiety scales, and to monitor the extent to which dentists used them; to explore the experience and views of dentists regarding anxiety assessment. Design: A mixed-methods design was employed. Method: A protocol for child anxiety assessment was introduced to paediatric dentists in Eastman Dental Hospital. After 6 months, 100 patient files were audited to examine compliance with the protocol. Fourteen dentists were interviewed to explore their experience and views regarding anxiety assessment. Results: Only five patients were assessed using the scales. Thematic analysis of the dentist interviews revealed three themes: ‘Clinical observations and experience: The gold standard’; ‘Scales as an estimate or adjunct’; and ‘Shortcomings and barriers to using scales’. Conclusions: The dentists in our study did not use anxiety scales, instead they rely on their own experience/judgement. Therefore, scales should be recommended as an adjunct to judgement. Brief scales are recommended as clinicians lack time and expertise in administering anxiety questionnaires. Advantages of using scales and hands-on experience could be incorporated more in undergraduate training. Wiley 2018-01 Article PeerReviewed Alshammasi, Hussain, Buchanan, Heather and Ashley, Paul (2018) Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 28 (1). pp. 62-70. ISSN 1365-263X Anxiety Scales; ACDAS Facial Image Scale; Child Anxiety http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ipd.12302/abstract doi:10.1111/ipd.12302 doi:10.1111/ipd.12302 |
| spellingShingle | Anxiety Scales; ACDAS Facial Image Scale; Child Anxiety Alshammasi, Hussain Buchanan, Heather Ashley, Paul Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title | Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title_full | Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title_fullStr | Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title_short | Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| title_sort | dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study |
| topic | Anxiety Scales; ACDAS Facial Image Scale; Child Anxiety |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49759/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49759/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49759/ |