Gagging prevalence and its association with dental fear in 4‐12‐year‐old children in a dental setting

Abstract

Aim The aims were to determine the prevalence of gagging in children in the dental setting, detect any association between gagging and dental fear in that setting, and determine if the association varied by type of setting. Design A total of 734 children (4‐12 years old), seeking dental care either at a University paediatric dental clinic (UC) or at a private paediatric practice (PP), filled out the Greek version of the Gagging Assessment Scale (GAS, subjective assessment) and the Greek version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule‐Dental Subscale (CFSS‐DS). The shorter form of the Gagging Problem Assessment‐dentist part for children (GPA‐de‐c/SF, dentist's objective measurement) was used to assess their gag reflex. Results A total of 209 children (28.47%) gagged according to the GPA‐de‐c/SF. There was no significant difference in gagging between UC and PP children. Children rated as gaggers on the GPA‐de‐c/SF reported significantly higher GAS and CFSS‐DS scores (U = 33 629.000; P < 0.001, U = 31 955.500, P < 0.001, respectively). Also, there was a significant association between GAS and CFSS‐DS (rho = 0.307, P < 0.001). Conclusions In the dental setting, there were significant relationships between dental fear, the dentist's objective measurement of gagging severity, and the child's subjective gagging assessment.

Prevalence of Gagging in Children and the Association Between Gagging and Dental Fear: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This may result in a child with a high probability of gagging at the dentist through operant conditioning. 30 The literature findings on this subject associate more severe gagging with higher fear in adults. 15,19,29 However, there are only a few studies examining the relationship between dental fear and gagging in the pediatric population.…”

“…25 In the study of Katsouda et al in 2018, males were reported to experience more gagging than females in the pediatric age group, which is in line with our study findings. 30 Patients who experience gagging during dental treatments may develop a tendency to gag during their future dental experience as a result of the gagging experience being accompanied by dental stimuli (dentist, dental instruments). 5,15 Therefore, as a result of gagging during dental treatment, the fear of the dentist and dental treatment may develop in the pediatric patient.…”

“…While Katsouda et al did not find a significant relationship between dental fear and gagging levels in their study in 2016, they reported a significant relationship in 2018 and 2021. 10,25,30 According to the study conducted in 2018, there was no significant difference between the pediatric age group evaluated in a university pediatric dental clinic and those in a private pediatric practice in terms of gagging, indicating that the change of venue did not have an effect on gagging reflex. 30 One of the limitations of the study was that it may be more appropriate to use more than one scale for the evaluation of dental fear.…”

“…10,25,30 According to the study conducted in 2018, there was no significant difference between the pediatric age group evaluated in a university pediatric dental clinic and those in a private pediatric practice in terms of gagging, indicating that the change of venue did not have an effect on gagging reflex. 30 One of the limitations of the study was that it may be more appropriate to use more than one scale for the evaluation of dental fear. Using both subjective evaluation (self-report) and objective evaluation tools to assess the gag reflex would result in more grounded results.…”

Effectiveness of intellectual color game, audio-visual and stress ball distraction methods on gagging and anxiety management in children

“…Katsouda and colleagues 20 discovered a significant link in youngsters aged 4-12 between gagging and dental anxiety; however, due to the nature of the study, the authors were unable to determine that the two have a cause and effect relationship 16 . Distraction technique's effectiveness in medical settings and with pediatric patients is extensively demonstrated.…”