Gizem Karagöz DOĞAN, Eda GÜLBETEKİN
Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine - 2026;9(5):1304-1311
Aims: Although studies on dental anxiety are frequently conducted in Turkiye, the number of practical, valid, and reliable scales that can be administered in a short time is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the short form of the children's experiences of dental anxiety measure (CEDAM-8); to perform confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine its cross-cultural adaptation in Turkish society; and ultimately to establish a quick and easily applicable Turkish dental anxiety scale. Methods: A total of 276 children (143 girls, 133 boys) aged 9-12 years who presented for their first visit to the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at Iğdır University participated in the present study. Cronbach's alpha (alpha) was calculated to assess internal consistency reliability. Pearson correlation analysis was used for test-retest reliability (n=27). Construct validity was determined by comparison with the faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDASf). CFA was used to assess dimensionality. Results: The Turkish version of the CEDAM-8 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (0.846) and a correlation value of r=0.990 in the test-retest analysis. High correlations were also found between the total scores of the CEDAM-8 and the MCDASf (r=0.724), and between the CEDAM-8 and the Global Dental Anxiety Question (r=0.712). As a result of the CFA, a eight-item structure with good fit indices was obtained. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the CEDAM-8 is a reliable and valid scale that meets psychometric criteria. By providing a quick and practical assessment, it offers significant utility for clinicians in early detection and management of dental anxiety in pediatric populations. Furthermore, it serves as a valuable resource for future epidemiological and clinical research aimed at evaluating dental anxiety interventions in Turkish children.
