Understanding The Development Of Dental Fear Among Australian Children And Adults By Applying A Comprehensive Conceptual Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,482.00
Summary
Dental fear acts as a significant barrier to obtaining dental care, and leads to poorer dental health, greater dental treatment needs and reduced school and work performance. Approximately 1 in 7 children and adults have high dental fear. Understanding how dentists are being trained, what they are doing in their dental practise, and how and why dental fear develops and is maintained, are fundamental steps in trying to reduce this important dental, mental, and public health issue.
The proposed program of work aims to shed light on dietary, environmental and genetic factors that may be related to the risk of childhood cancers. Identifying these risk factors, and how they interact with each other, will provide clues as to how childhood cancers may be prevented. The research program includes a number of Australian and international studies, which will involve collaboration between doctors and research scientists from a range of disciplines.