Development of Children's Dental Fears: An Observational Study

Childhood dental fear in the Netherlands: prevalence and normative data

“…Previous research has resulted in inconsistent findings: several studies have reported that dental fear seems to decrease with increasing age (1, 5, 23, 26), although it should be noted that often this reported relation is not very strong. This may be partly due to the fact that this relation may not be a linear one and that it may be affected by other aspects (9, 26–28). More specifically, this reported decrease in fear might essentially represent a developmental change in children (16, 28–29).…”

“…This may be partly due to the fact that this relation may not be a linear one and that it may be affected by other aspects (9, 26–28). More specifically, this reported decrease in fear might essentially represent a developmental change in children (16, 28–29). Increasing age in children is related to the development of cognitive abilities (29) and a change in the expression of fear.…”

Psychological Preparation for Pediatric Oncology Patients Undergoing Painful Procedures: A Methodological Critique of the Research

“…Other researchers have also identified developmental patterns in children's understanding of time (reviewed in Friedman, 1982). For example, relative to older children, younger children often become extremely upset by short-term, highly salient, and somewhat painful procedures (e.g., Rape, Bush, & Saravia, 1988). For example, relative to older children, younger children often become extremely upset by short-term, highly salient, and somewhat painful procedures (e.g., Rape, Bush, & Saravia, 1988).…”

“…The concepts of procedural invasiveness (Rape et al, 1988) and instrurnental controllability (Auerbach, 1989) are objective and may be helpful in classifying phases of BMAs and LPs. Rape et al (1988) offered an adaptation of Anderson and Masur's (1983) earlier definition of invasiveness: "An operative or diagnostic technique, usually involving the use of instruments, that necessitates (a) the penetration of tissue, (b) intrusion into a body orifice, or (c) the restraint of normal bodily movement" (p. 347).…”

“…An interaction between age and procedural invasiveness may occur (e.g., Rape et al, 1988), suggesting the importance of being specific regarding minute-to-minute changes in invasiveness. Preliminary evidence (Rape et al, 1988) suggests the following pattern: Children of all ages tend to exhibit higher levels of distress during highly invasive phases and lower levels of distress during noninvasive phases; during intermediately invasive phases, though, young children tend to exhibit higher levels of distress than older children.…”