Emotions experienced during the shedding of the first primary tooth

Aim To examine the different emotions expressed by children exfoliating their first primary tooth, evaluate their proportional distribution, and reveal possible influences of child‐ and parent‐related variables on the reported emotions. Design A cross‐sectional questionnaire was directed to parents...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of paediatric dentistry 2019-01, Vol.29 (1), p.22-28
Main Authors: Patcas, Raphael, Daum, Moritz M., Waes, Hubertus J. M., Beltrani, Selina, Pfister, Lara T., Landolt, Markus A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Children & youth
Dental caries
Dentists
Education
Emotions
Exfoliation
Teeth
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Summary:Aim To examine the different emotions expressed by children exfoliating their first primary tooth, evaluate their proportional distribution, and reveal possible influences of child‐ and parent‐related variables on the reported emotions. Design A cross‐sectional questionnaire was directed to parents of children who had recently shed at least one primary tooth. Primary outcome variables were the child's emotions at the time of exfoliation. Child‐related determinants were sex, duration of tooth wiggle, previous accident‐ or caries‐related visits at dentist, and having witnessed tooth exfoliation in older siblings. Parent‐related determinants included socio‐economic variables (education, religion, country of origin). Results One thousand two hundred and seventy‐four of 3617 questionnaires were returned and analysed (35.2%). 82.0% of the parents reported positive, and 22.0% negative emotions in their child. Previous caries‐related visits at the dentist diminished the likelihood of positive emotions (OR = 0.65), and accident‐related visits increased the odds of positive emotions (OR = 1.57), as did an extended duration of tooth wiggle (OR = 1.98). Higher education of mothers (OR = 2.89) and fathers (OR = 1.96) and an origin from non‐Western countries (OR = 2.56 and OR = 1.85, respectively) were also related to positive emotions. Conclusions For most children, losing the first primary tooth is associated with positive emotions. Dental visits and parental factors influence these emotions. Parents and dentists should be aware of their impact on children's emotional development.
ISSN:0960-7439
1365-263X
DOI:10.1111/ipd.12427