Dea Delicia, Endang Sri Wahjuni, Evy Afiyah Syagran, Cintantya Intan Prawestri, Meirina Rosa Wisatya, Adityarani Putranti, R. Handi Bramanto, Aulia Nuur Ainayah, Chininta Oktora Amani
Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) in children remains a key barrier to successful pediatric dental care and is often shaped by parental emotional and behavioral patterns. This study aims to synthesize recent evidence regarding the influence of parental anxiety on children's dental treatment outcomes, with an exploration of neurobehavioral mechanisms underpinning the transmission of dental fear. A literature search was systematically conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using PICO-based Boolean strategies, identifying 29 eligible studies between 2015 and 2025 assessing both parental and child anxiety with validated measures, involving a total of over 7,900 child-parent pairs. The findings consistently showed that higher parental anxiety is linked to increased DFA and reduced cooperation in children. Key contributing factors include parental emotional regulation, coping style, and behavioral modeling. Neurobiological pathways, such as HPA axis dysregulation, suggest anxiety transmission may occur via both psychological and physiological routes. Screening caregivers and incorporating familycentered approaches may improve children's behavior during treatment and reduce dental fear. Integrating neurobehavioral insights can enhance empathy and effectiveness in clinical practice. © 2025 The Authors, published by EDP Sciences.
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Semarang, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
