Does Parental Anxiety, Coping, and Pain Catastrophizing Influence Child Behavior During Sedation?

Purpose: Little is known about psychological factors associated with children's behavior during dental sedation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between parental dental anxiety, coping style, pain catastrophizing (an exaggerated negative response to pain), and children's behavior during dental treatment under moderate sedation. Methods: Participants included 110 pairs consisting of mothers, fathers, or grandmothers and healthy children (60 boys, 50 girls; mean age equals 47.0 months, range equals 20 to 81 months) with a history of disruptive behavior during dental treatment. All children required one dental restoration under moderate sedation, using local anesthesia and rubber dam isolation. Children, s behavior was assessed using the Ohio State University Behavioral Rating Scale, based on the video files of the procedure. Parents completed the Dental Anxiety Scale, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Parents. Results: Parents of children with more positive behavior scored higher on planning (P=0.02) and acceptance (P=0.02) strategies than parents of children in the regular and negative behavior groups. No associations were found between parental dental anxiety or pain catastrophizing and children's behavior. Conclusions: Parental adaptive coping strategies can have a positive impact on children's behavior during dental treatment under moderate sedation.