Fathers and Dental Fear

Fathers play a big role in the lives of their children. Among everything else they do, fathers help girls achieve and maintain self-esteem and help sons learn to interact more confidently with the world around them. But did you know that fathers also contribute to their children’s feelings about the dentist?

The Study

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, dental fear runs in families and fathers hold the key to that fear. The article outlines a study from Spain that found that the level of dental fear a father holds can aid in the development of a child’s dental anxiety.The study’s authors passed out a questionnaire-based survey to 183 school-aged children in Madrid. Once finished with the analysis, they found a strong correlation between the levels of dental fear in parents and appearance of dental fear in children. The correlation was strongest, however, between fathers and their children.In other words, the authors found that a father’s dental fears are the strongest predictor of dental fear in his children. As the Wall Street Journal article mentions, “kids most often take their cues from dad with respect to how much they need to worry about a dental visit”. The article and study both concluded that a reduction in dental fear in fathers will help reduce the level of dental fear in children.

The Answer

An important part of reducing fear of the dentist can be going to an experienced dentist you can trust. Dr. Garcia has been providing gentle, high quality dentistry for families in Albuquerque since 1983. He and his team go to great lengths to ensure your visit is fast and comfortable and your needs and fears are addressed. Contact us today for an appointment.

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