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Dental AnxietyNCT05125731

Effect of Parental Absence on Child's Dental Anxiety and Behaviors During Dental Treatment

A study testing Parental absence, Parental visual support and Parental presence in people with Dental Anxiety and Children, Only, run by Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The basis of pediatric dentistry is to provide cooperation in children with various behavioral management techniques. The presence or absence of the parent during dental treatments can be used to ensure the child's compliance with the treatment. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 4 to 7 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Dental Anxiety, Children, Only, Dental Caries
What is being tested?
Parental absence, Parental visual support and Parental presence
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
72 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
1 Oct 2021to 1 Apr 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 4 to 7 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • No previous dental treatment experience
  • No need for urgent dental treatment
  • Presence of at least one interproximal carious lesion in a primary molar tooth with a lesion depth does not exceeding 1/2 of the inner dentin radiographically and without irreversible pulp pathology

Who cannot join

  • Any systemic disease, physical or mental disorder
  • Uncooperative child who absolutely refuses dental treatment

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Dentistry

    Ankara

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of the Effect of Parental Absence on Child's Dental Anxiety and Behaviors During Dental Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The basis of pediatric dentistry is to provide cooperation in children with various behavioral management techniques. The presence or absence of the parent during dental treatments can be used to ensure the child's compliance with the treatment.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the presence or absence of the parent on the child's dental anxiety and child's behavior during dental treatment. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between the child's dental fear and the parent's dental fear.

Read more

Healthy children between the ages of 4-7, who have no dental experience and need restorative treatment will be included in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three study groups (Group 1: Parental absence, Group 2: Parent behind a barrier and Group 3: Parental presence).

Psychometric and projective tests will be applied to assess child's and parent's dental anxiety at the beginning of the study.

At the second appointment scheduled for the operative treatment of decayed primary molar tooth, first the child will be administered topical and local anesthesia, a rubber dam will be placed on the decayed tooth, the caries will be removed with high and low speed rotary instruments and the cavity will be restored with a compomer filling.

Children's heart rates and blood oxygen saturation will be measured by a pulse oximeter during treatment in order to evaluate dental anxiety. Children will be videotaped during treatment so that their behaviour can be evaluated later by another researcher.

After treatment, psychometric and projective tests used to measure the child's dental anxiety will be re-administered.

Read the detailed description

The aim of this clinical study is:

  • to determine the presence or absence of the parent during the treatment in order to ensure the cooperation of the child during the dental treatment
  • to investigate the relationship between the parent's dental fear and the child's dental fear 72 healthy children aged 4-7 will be recruited from Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry outpatient clinic.

Participants who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate will be randomly allocated to Group 1 (Parental absence), Group 2 (Parent behind a barrier) or Group 3 (Parental presence).

A simple randomization method will be used with opaque sealed envelopes containing "Group 1", "Group 2" or "Group 3" prepared separately for 4 different ages (4, 5, 6 and 7) in the study. Group allocation will be performed by an independent researcher, not involved in the study.

"Venham Picture Test" and "The Dental Subscale of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule" questionnaire will be applied to the children before and after the dental treatments.

The parent's dental anxiety will be measured with "The Corah Dental Anxiety Scale" and parent's attitude will be measured with "Parental Attitude Scale".

During the dental treatments the heart rate and the blood oxygen saturation of each participant will be recorded at 30-second intervals. The mean number of these measurements will be calculated for each of the following processes.

  1. Sitting in the dental chair at the beginning of the treatment
  2. Administration of topical anesthesia
  3. Administration of local anesthesia
  4. Caries removal with high-speed rotary instrument
  5. Caries removal with low-speed rotary instrument
  6. Application of dental matrix
  7. Placement of dental filling material
  8. Restoration finishing and polishing
  9. Sitting in the dental chair at the end of the treatment

Video recordings taken during dental treatment will be watched later by a dentist who is blind to the treatment groups and the child's cooperation during treatment will be recorded using the Frankl behavioral scale.

Being tested
Parental absence, Parental visual support, Parental presence
Keywords
Behaviour management, Dental fear, Parental absence
Medical subject headings
Dental Caries

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Parental absenceBehavioural

    Parent does not accompany the child during dental treatment

  • Parental visual supportBehavioural

    The parent does not accompany the child during the dental treatment but watches behind the glass and is seen by the child.

  • Parental presenceBehavioural

    Parent accompanies the child during dental treatment

Study groups in NCT05125731
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Parental absenceExperimentalThe parent will not be present in the dental clinic during the treatment. Parents will be instructed to wait in a waiting room outside the clinic, out of sight of the child.
Receives: Behavioral: Parental absence
Parental visual supportActive comparatorThe parent will watch and wait behind a transparent barrier without disrupting the interaction between the dentist and the child. This type of separation differs from the total absence of the parent because the parent is within the child's sight.
Receives: Behavioral: Parental visual support
Parental presenceActive comparatorOne of the parents will accompany the child during the dental treatment. The parent is allowed to sit next to the child without disturbing the interaction between the dentist and the child.
Receives: Behavioral: Parental presence

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Mean change from baseline in children's dental anxiety scores on Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) at the end of the dental treatment.

    The CFSS-DS is a 15-item questionnaire on various aspects of dental treatment. Each item can be given five different scores ranging from "not afraid at all (1)" to "very much afraid (5)." The CFSS-DS has a total score range of 15 to 75 and a score of 38 or more has been associated with clinical dental fear.

    Measured: 1. At the first visit- immediately after being assigned to one of the three study arms; 2. At the second visit- within 30 min after dental treatment

  2. Mean change from baseline in children's dental anxiety scores on Venham Picture Test at the end of the dental treatment.

    The Venham picture test is comprised of 8 pairs of images, where each pair represents one anxious figure and one non-anxious figure. The children are asked to select the ones that reflect their emotional state best. The anxious figure gets 1 point, and the non-anxious figure gets 0 points. The final score ranges from 0 (least anxious) to 8 (most anxious).

    Measured: 1. At the first visit- immediately after being assigned to one of the three study arms; 2. At the second visit- within 30 min after dental treatment

  3. Heart rate measurement to assess dental anxiety

    Measurement will be made with a pulse oximeter

    Measured: during dental treatment

  4. Blood oxygen saturation measurement to assess dental anxiety

    Measurement will be made with a pulse oximeter

    Measured: during dental treatment

  5. Frankl behavioral scale to measure compliance to dental treatment

    Frankl behavior scale classifies child behavior into four categories (1-definitely negative 2- negative, 3- positive and 4- definitely positive) according to the child's attitude during dental treatment.

    The video recording taken during the treatment will be evaluated by another researcher. In the "parental presence group" where the parent accompanies the child, the parent will be seated outside the camera's field of view.

    Measured: during dental treatment

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. The Corah Dental Anxiety Scale to measure the parent's dental anxiety

    The Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) is a 4-item questionnaire related to various aspects of dental treatment (Anticipating visit to the dental clinic, waiting in the dentist's office for treatment, waiting in the dental chair for drilling of teeth, waiting in the dental chair for scaling the teeth).

    Each item contains 5 possible answers. Each answer has an assigned numeric value (1-5). The sum of the values assigned for each response is the result of the test and can vary from 4 to 20 points. A score less than 9 indicates low dental anxiety. A score of 9-12 points indicates moderate dental anxiety.A score of 13-14 points indicates high dental anxiety. A score of 15-20 points indicates very high dental anxiety.

    Measured: At the first visit- immediately after being assigned to one of the three study arms

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted18 Nov 2021
  2. Study start1 Oct 2021
  3. Primary completion1 Jan 2022
  4. Study completion1 Apr 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
72 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05125731
Sponsor's protocol ID
E2-21-738
Status last verified
Oct 2025
First submitted
26 Oct 2021
Last updated
6 Oct 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Gustafsson A, Broberg A, Bodin L, Berggren U, Arnrup K. Dental behaviour management problems: the role of child personal characteristics. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2010 Jul;20(4):242-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-263X.2010.01046.x.

    PubMed 20536585
  • Kantaputra PN, Chiewcharnvalijkit K, Wairatpanich K, Malikaew P, Aramrattana A. Children's attitudes toward behavior management techniques used by dentists. J Dent Child (Chic). 2007 Jan-Apr;74(1):4-9.

    PubMed 18430348
  • Versloot J, Veerkamp J, Hoogstraten J. Dental anxiety and psychological functioning in children: its relationship with behaviour during treatment. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2008 Feb;9 Suppl 1:36-40. doi: 10.1007/BF03262654.

    PubMed 18328247
  • Klingberg G, Berggren U, Noren JG. Dental fear in an urban Swedish child population: prevalence and concomitant factors. Community Dent Health. 1994 Dec;11(4):208-14.

    PubMed 7850639
  • Corah NL, Gale EN, Illig SJ. Assessment of a dental anxiety scale. J Am Dent Assoc. 1978 Nov;97(5):816-9. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.1978.0394.

    PubMed 31377
  • Venham LL, Gaulin-Kremer E. A self-report measure of situational anxiety for young children. Pediatr Dent. 1979 Jun;1(2):91-6. No abstract available.

    PubMed 399677
  • Cuthbert MI, Melamed BG. A screening device: children at risk for dental fears and management problems. ASDC J Dent Child. 1982 Nov-Dec;49(6):432-6. No abstract available.

    PubMed 6960031
  • Frankl SN, Shiere FR, Fogels HR. Should the parent remain with the child in the dental operatory? J Dent Child 1962; 29: 150-163.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Parental absence, Parental visual support and Parental presence in people with Dental Anxiety and Children, Only, run by Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Mean change from baseline in children's dental anxiety scores on Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) at the end of the dental treatment. (time frame: 1. At the first visit- immediately after being assigned to one of the three study arms; 2. At the second visit- within 30 min after dental treatment). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05125731, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2025.

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