Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese parental version of the Dental Subscale of Children's Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS) and to investigate the prevalence of dental fear in young Japanese children.
The following results were obtained.
1) The Japanese parental version of CFSS-DS showed good reliability and validity.
2) The cut-off point of CFSS-DS in young Japanese children was 33.
3) Young Japanese children showed relatively higher dental fear (32.1) than children in other countries. No connection to gender was found (31.6±11.1vs 32.7±11.3p=0.051).
4) Children who have the following factors tend to get high dental fear score: parents with a high dental fear; 5 years old or younger; those who have not consulted a dentist when answering the questionnaires; those who have not experienced local anesthesia and cavity treatment.
5) The CFSS-DS scores for the clinical and general population was approximately the same (32.1±11,2vs 32.0±11.6).
