mediating role in parental tran Emotional contagion of dental fear to children: the fathers’ sfer of fear

Background. Dental fear is considered to be one of the most frequent problems in paediatric dentistry. According to literature, parents’ levels of dental fear play a key role in the development of child’s dental anxiety. Hypothesis or Aim. We have tried to identify the presence of emotional transmission of dental fear among family members and to analyse the different roles that mothers and fathers might play concerning the contagion of dental fear to children. We have hypothesized a key role of the father in the transfer of dental fear from mother to child. Design. A questionnaire-based survey (Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale) has been