"For many people who have experienced a lot of insecurity in childhood, dental treatment can be demanding. The study found a clear link between dental fear and various types of painful childhood experiences, including bullying. Myran was surprised that the correlation between painful childhood experiences and dental fear was stronger in girls than in boys. Children who have been in dental treatment a lot have an extra vulnerability to developing dental fear. More information: Lena Myran et al, Associations of adverse childhood experiences with dental fear, and the mediating role of dental fear on caries experience: the Young-HUNT4 Survey, BMC Oral Health (2025).