Evaluation of the relationship between children's dental anxiety levels and their compomer restoration color preferences

Background: Dental anxiety is frequently encountered in children and recognized as an important public health problem. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between children’s dental anxiety levels and their compomer restoration colors preferences. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the relationship between anxiety levels and compomer restoration color preferences in 275 children aged between 5 and 10 years who required restorative treatment in their primary molar teeth. The children’s dental anxiety levels were determined using the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS), face version. Children with identified anxiety levels were asked to choose colors for their fillings. The children were asked about their favorite color, and the obtained data was recorded. Results: We observed that children with high anxiety levels predominantly chose pink as the restoration color, while those with low anxiety levels mostly selected white. We also observed that children who chose their favorite color for restoration tended to have higher levels of anxiety (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Choosing white for compomer restoration colors in children is thought to indicate low or moderate level of anxiety, while choosing pink indicates high anxiety levels. Therefore, compomer restoration color preferences can be used as a measure of dental anxiety and certain emotional states. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT06484998, Date: 03 July 2024.

Color; Compomer; Dental anxiety; Dental caries; Primary teeth

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