Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate dental anxiety in a group of children undergoing dental treatment in the Pedodontics Department at Ibn Rochd Dental University Center in Casablanca.

Materials and Methods: Dental anxiety was assessed in different ways in a cohort of 150 children aged 4-13 years, stratified by age group. In the first group, aged 4-8 years, a self-report based on the Facial Image Scale (FIS) was used. In the second group, aged 8-13 years, a Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) was employed. All children underwent a heteroevaluation based on the Modified Venham Scale. Factors that might account for the presence of dental anxiety were identified through an interview with the parents. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software at the Laboratory of Community Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Casablanca.

Results: Of the children aged 8-13 years, 5.3% reported to have moderate anxiety (DAS score ranging from 13 to 17), with 1.7% reporting reluctance to clinical examination. Of the children aged 4 8 years, 24% considered themselves unhappy or very unhappy (FIS=4 or 5) at the time of consultation, with 14% reported reluctance to clinical examination.

Conclusion: The presence of dental anxiety across the children tested suggests the need for combining sedation with psychological interventions to control for anxiety-related variables potentially affecting dental children’s treatment outcomes.