The goal of this observational study was to evaluate an artificial intelligence-assisted projective method for assessing dental anxiety in young children and to understand how the first child-dentist interaction affected dental anxiety. The main questions it aimed to answer were:
Did the artificial intelligence-assisted projective method provide a valid and reliable assessment of dental anxiety in children aged 3 to 6 years? Did dental anxiety change after the child's first interaction with the dentist during the first dental visit? Children aged 3 to 6 years who attended their first dental visit as part of routine dental care took part. During the same visit, dental anxiety was assessed before and after the initial child-dentist interaction using picture-based dental anxiety scales and the newly developed projective method. All assessments were completed on the same day.