Article

Gender Differences in Dental Anxiety: Is the Chair Position Important?

The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice

March 2005
6(1):115-22

DOI:10.5005/jcdp-6-1-115

Source
PubMed

Authors:

Salvatore Settineri

University of Messina

Dental anxiety in the general population is more prevalent in females than in males. The presence of dental anxiety was studied in a group of 189 females and 176 males using the following scales: the Dental Anxiety Scale (divided into DAS 1 containing 6 items, which explores a patient's dental anxiety and DAS 2 containing 13 items, which looks at dental anxiety concerning dentist-patient relations), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Quality of Life Index (QL-Index). The results obtained showed significant differences only in relation to dental anxiety regarding the use of instruments (such as needles and handpieces) and the tilted-back position of the chair (DAS 1). No significant gender differences emerged between the two groups in relation to dental anxiety regarding dentist-patient relations (DAS 2), depression (SDS), and the quality of life (QL-Index). The results may explain why women avoid dental care and indicate new designs to make the chair position more comfortable would be useful. Citation Settineri S, Tatì F, Fanara G. Gender Differences in Dental Anxiety: Is the Chair Position Important? J Contemp Dent Pract 2005 February;(6)1:115-122.

Prevalence of dental anxiety among adult patients attending the University of Ghana Dental school clinic, Accra

Preprint

Full-text available

Oct 2023

Introduction: There have been substantial efforts over the years to improve oral healthcare through technology, preventive methods, and dental behavioral management. Despite these efforts, dental anxiety poses considerable challenges to both patients and dentists. Its burden has however not been thoroughly explored in Ghana. Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence of dental anxiety among adult patients attending the University of Ghana Dental School Clinic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which assessed the level of anxiety of patients by use of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present results in the form of charts and graphs while Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to test the relationship between categorical variables. Results: There were 72 participants included in the study, consisting of 41.7% females, and 58.3% males. The cumulative prevalence of dental anxiety was 95.8%, with 41.7% respondents having ‘low anxiety’, 33.3% with ‘moderate anxiety’, 16.7% with ‘high anxiety’ and 4.2% respondents had ‘extreme anxiety’. The most commonly reported causes of dental anxiety were the sound and feel of the drill/handpiece (38.6%), followed by injection (36.8%). The level of dental anxiety was significantly influenced by the gender of patients and their experience in visiting the dental clinic. Conclusion: This study found the prevalence of dental anxiety to be high among participants. Behavioural management in dental practices should therefore be prioritized to optimize care and treatment outcomes.

Könskillnader vid tandvårdsrädsla

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2008

Article

Full-text available

May 2018

The objective of the study was to determine level of dental anxiety related to dental procedures in dental students and comparing the dental anxiety between male and female undergraduate dental students of Rawal Dental College. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Rawal Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan during October 2016. A validated Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) questionnaire were distributed among dental students in first, second, third and fourth year students present at the day of study. There were four questions with five options in this scale that assess level of anxiety. Total score ranged from 4-20. This was total of all points of scale items. The score 8 or below 8 showed no anxiety, 9-12 showed moderate level of anxiety, 13-14 showed high level of anxiety and 15-20 showed severe level of anxiety. Chi-Square Test used to determine level of anxiety and Mean Anxiety Score between male and female students. Mean and Standard Deviation of gender was calculated by independent T test and that of Academic classes of dental students were calculated by one-way ANOVA. Results showed female students presented with higher mean anxiety score as compared to male students. The difference was statistically insignificant (P-value = 0.10). Dental anxiety reduced from first year to final year. Female students had more high to severe level of anxiety as compared to male students. Mean and standard deviation of Mean anxiety score was calculated i.e. 9.11 ±3.15. Key Words: Corah Dental Anxiety Scale, Dental anxiety, Stress, Dental Anxiety Score (DAS), Dental Fear, Dental Students.

Anxiety in patients undergoing surgical extraction of mandibular third molars

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2020

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the amount of anxiety felt before and immediately after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. Materials and Methods: Patients' anxiety related to mandibular third molar surgery was prospectively measured before and after the procedure. Each patient level of anxiety was measured using a visual analog scale preoperatively and immediately postoperatively. Patients older than 18 years who were referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, for surgical removal of mandibular third molars were asked to participate in this study. Data including patient's demographic information, type of the third molar, and severity of surgical removal were recorded. The patient's age and gender and its relation to level anxiety were analyzed. Surgical removal of all third molars was performed by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon under local anesthesia without sedation. Results: Eighty-four patients participated in the present study, of which male participants were 36.7% and female patients were 64.3%. The mean age of participants was 42.07 ± 14.93 years and ranged from 18 to 70 years. The amount of anxiety preoperative compared to postoperative was statistically significant different (P < 0.00). No statistically significant differences observed between males and females patients before (P = 0.41) and after surgery (P = 0.11). Patients younger than 30 years old and older than 55 years old had significant reduction in anxiety postoperatively (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: The amount of anxiety related to surgical extraction of mandibular third molars was higher preoperatively than postoperatively, without any relation to the age and gender. Preoperative patients' reassurance and adequate explanation are recommended.

Assessment of Dental Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Dental Procedures in Dow International Dental College

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2017

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess anxiety level in patients seeking dental treatment in Dow International Dental College and its relationship with social factors, demographic factors and according to dental procedures using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale by Corah. Methodology: Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Dental OPD of Dow International Dental College for 3 months, from December 2015 to February 2016. Sample size was calculated as 386. Consented individuals of both genders of all race, socio-economic status with the seeking dental treatment in this college were included. Self administered questionnaire based on Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) by Corah was used. SPSS v.19 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 386 (165 males and 221 females) participants were included. In this study 31(8%) participants were anxious whereas 355(92.0%) were non-anxious. Mean anxiety score was reported as 10(±4) which indicates a low level of anxiety. There was a statistically significant association found between dental anxiety and variables like gender (p-value=0.002), level of education (p-value=0.005) and type of dental procedures like oral diagnosis, restorative procedures, scaling, polishing, oral surgery and prosthetic treatment (p-value 0.02). An insignificant association was seen between dental anxiety and variables like age (p-value=0.652) and occupation (pvalue=0.214). Conclusion: Current study suggests that the occurrence of anxiety is low in patients presenting to DIDC presenting for dental check-ups.

Prevalence of Dental Anxiety among Patients Visiting the Out Patient Department (OPD) of a Dental Institution in Panchkula, Haryana

Article

Oct 2017

INTRODUCTION: Anxiety is a common problem frequently experienced by patients undergoing dental procedures in every dental setting. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety among the patients visiting the Out Patient Department (OPD) of a Dental Institution in Panchkula, Haryana.MATERIALS & METHOD: A sample of 600 adults (Females =298, Males = 302) with age ranging from 21 years to 65 years were enrolled in the study. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale was used to measure dental anxiety among the study population. Chi Square test and ANOVA was used to find significant comparisons between the different variables assessed in the study. Further, Spearman’s Correlation was used to analyse these variables with the mean anxiety scores of the patients.RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety among patients was found to be high. Reportedly the level of anxiety was found more in females than in males. It was revealed that with advancing age and higher education level, there was a decrease in level of anxiety, postponement of the dental treatment had a direct effect on dental anxiety. Previous unfavourable dental experience has a high impact on dental anxiety scores.CONCLUSION: Evaluation of anxiety levels in the subjects of this study suggests that majority of them are anxious towards dental treatment. Dental anxiety is one of the major barrier in the utilization of dental services. There is a strict need of directing efforts towards alleviation of this hindrance to provide a good quality dental care to the needy population.

Avaliação do Sentimento de Ansiedade Frente ao Atendimento Odontológico

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2015

O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a ansiedade e o comportamento de indivíduos adultos frente às visitas realizadas ao dentista. Para tanto, aplicouse um questionário a uma amostra de 984 indivíduos, entre 14 a 93 anos, de ambos os sexos, abordando temas sobre: medo e/ou ansiedade, freqüência de consultas ao dentista e procedimentos odontológicos realizados na última consulta. Os resultados demonstraram não haver diferença estatisticamente significante entre os sexos (masculino 23,81; feminino 27,7%), ao afirmarem não ter medo de dentista. Para os que tinham medo, 9,04% tiveram experiências desagradáveis no atendimento; 4,98% sentem medo a partir do ruído do alta-rotação; 6,20% da anestesia; 3,46% de todos os itens citados. Pode-se concluir que maior ênfase deve ser dada às manifestações de ansiedade e medo odontológico, pois os indivíduos são relutantes a admitirem seus medos, descuidando e fugindo da filosofia de prevenção em saúde bucal.

Assessment of Dental Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Dental Procedures in Dow International Dental College

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2017

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess anxiety level in patients seeking dental treatment in Dow International Dental College and its relationship with social factors, demographic factors and according to dental procedures using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale by Corah. Methodology: Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Dental OPD of Dow International Dental College for 3 months, from December 2015 to February 2016. Sample size was calculated as 386. Consented individuals of both genders of all race, socio-economic status with the seeking dental treatment in this college were included. Self administered questionnaire based on Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) by Corah was used. SPSS v.19 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 386 (165 males and 221 females) participants were included. In this study 31(8%) participants were anxious whereas 355(92.0%) were non-anxious. Mean anxiety score was reported as 10(±4) which indicates a low level of anxiety. There was a statistically significant association found between dental anxiety and variables like gender (p-value=0.002), level of education (p-value=0.005) and type of dental procedures like oral diagnosis, restorative procedures, scaling, polishing, oral surgery and prosthetic treatment (p-value 0.02). An insignificant association was seen between dental anxiety and variables like age (p-value=0.652) and occupation (pvalue= 0.214).Conclusion: Current study suggests that the occurrence of anxiety is low in patients presenting to DIDC presenting for dental check-ups.

PREVALENCE OF DENTAL PHOBIA AMONG PATIENTS AT DENTAL CLINICS IN UAE

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2016

Introduction: Dental phobia is a serious psychological condition with a multi-factorial etiology. Most cases of dental phobia can be attributed to traumatic or painful dental experiences. Patients with this phobia tend to avoid dental visits, which endangers their oral health.

Dental Anxiety Scale: Reproducibility of Answers Given in Phone and Personal Interviews

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2012

Objective: To estimate the intra-examiner reproducibility of the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) when applied by phone and personal interviews and to evaluate the association between the level of anxiety and the factors of interest. Method: The participants were 50 individuals (n=38 females) with mean age of 23.9±8.9 years, living in the city of Araraquara, SP, Brazil. The volunteers answered the DAS by means of two phone interviews with one-week interval between them. After 30 days, the DAS was applied to the same participants by means of personal interviews at two moments with one-week interval between them. Intra-examiner reproducibility was determined using Kappa (K) statistics by point and by confidence interval. Results: The intra-examiner agreement for the level of anxiety was 0.82 (0.75-0.90) for the phone interview and 0.69 (0.60-0.79) for the personal interview. Two of the DAS questions presented statistically significant difference in the intra-examiner reproducibility, with better agreement for the answers given by the participants during phone calls. The prevalence of dental anxiety in the sample was 92.0%, in such a way that 70.0%, 18.0% and 4.0% of them presented low, moderate and exacerbated anxiety. Conclusion: The classification of the individuals according to the anxiety level performed by means of phone and personal interviews presented statistically similar agreement. However, there was better agreement with phone calls for the questions referring to anxiety in the dental office's waiting room and during preparation of the "motor" for use in the dental treatment.

The Impact of Demographic, Psychosocial, and Socioeconomic Factors on Barriers to Accessing Dental Services in Bulgaria

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2024

Introduction Dental health is an important component of overall health. Many factors can obstruct access to dental care and limit the utilization of services. Barriers to accessing dental services are divided into three groups - by patients, by dental profession, and by state and society. Factors by patients are proven to be the leading ones. Methods We conducted an anonymous survey among 416 Bulgarians to study the barriers to accessing dental services and the demographic, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors that influence those barriers. The research complies with ethical standards and is approved by the Ethics Committee of Medical University, Sofia. Results The main group of barriers to accessing dental care in the Republic of Bulgaria was patient-related (67.03%). They led all groups by gender, age, residence, education, income, overall health status, self-assessment of dental health, and frequency of visits. Barriers by state and society were second in importance (28.9%) and were mentioned mainly among men, low-income people (33.96%), the less educated (27.33%), age group 45-65 years (22.76%), and patients visiting a dental office only in case of emergency (32.97%). The leading reason for the postponement of visits was lack of pain (31.21%). Lack of pain was more often indicated among women (20.04%), age group 45-65 years (28.28%), and rural population (31.04%). The cost of dental treatment (15.54%) was not a significant factor and was outweighed by psychosocial factors such as lack of time (17.8%) and dental fear and anxiety (16.67%). Dental fear and anxiety were cited mainly among women (9.12%), younger patients (17.9%), the less educated (12.21%), those with low income (9.62%), and those without income (25%), as well as among people with low self-estimation of their oral health status (40%) and those visiting a dental office irregularly (25.53%). Conclusion The main group of barriers to accessing dental services in the Republic of Bulgaria was those created by patients and were indicated mainly among women, people with higher education and income, and those from rural populations, while barriers by state and society were indicated mainly by men, low income, less educated, and people over 45 years. Complex impact by more than one group of factors was reported mainly by middle-aged people, city populations, people visiting a dental office irregularly, and those with low self-assessment of their dental status. Patients postponed dental treatment mainly due to lack of pain, which was more significant among women, people over 45 years, and rural populations. The cost of dental treatment is no longer a significant factor and has been overtaken by psychosocial factors such as lack of time and dental fear and anxiety.

Impact of high-speed handpiece noise-induced dental anxiety on heart rate: analyzing experienced and non-experienced patients - a comparative study

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2024
BMC Oral Health

Background Dental anxiety is very much common among the patients and could be due to different factors like the behavior of the dentist, past experiences, Needle phobia, or word of mouth from other patients. According to recent studies, a strong association between sound and anxiety has been found, so this observational study has been conducted to find out the link between the activation of anxiety with the sound of a handpiece between experienced patients, who have already gone through the dental treatments and non-experienced patients. Methods Total of 297 participants were part of this study. These participants were divided into 2 groups according to the experienced and non-experienced dental patients. The researcher first filled out the CORAH Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) form to mark the anxiety level of the patients, and then noted the readings of the heart rate in 3 intervals which were before during, and after the treatment with the pulse oximeter. Later the data was analysed using the SPSS independent t-test. Results Results show that patients in group 1 who have gone through the dental treatment before were less anxious and had a lesser effect on their heart rate than the patient who were having the treatment for the first time who were in group 2. Another interesting factor was noticed that in both the groups female were found to be more anxious than male participants. Participants with younger age were found to be more anxious than older age patient in both groups Conclusions The sound of the handpiece can provoke anxiety in the patient, affecting the heart and increasing the heart rate. Participants who were experienced were found to be less anxious than the participants who were inexperienced.

Instruments for anxiety analysis and the utility of its assessment in oral surgical interventions under local anesthesia in patients undergoing four operative procedures

Article

Dec 2023

Fear of intervention in the oral cavity is declared as dental fear and is defined as a specific form of anxiety. The reaction to oral-surgical intervention will also depend on the feeling the patient acquires about the operator, but the positive experience also plays an important role. Aim: The aim is to evaluate differences between the sexes and the influence of experience from a previous oral surgical intervention on a similar subsequent intervention. Material and methods: In the research, anxiety was assessed using Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DASR) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (X1 and X2). The study included adult patients of both sexes with an indication for surgical extraction of impacted third permanent molars. Preoperative and postoperative anxiety was assessed: 1st measurement (day of examination) - DASR, and STAI (X1 and X2); 2nd measurement (immediately before the intervention) – STAI (X1 and X2); 3rd measurement (day after the intervention) – STAI (X1 and X2). Results: Preoperatively determined high levels of general, immediate, and dental anxiety decreased before the surgical procedure itself and were significantly reduced in the postoperative period. The downward trend continued in line with the positive experience. Women had higher anxiety scores than men for all monitored parameters. The use of the STAI scales to assess anxiety by dental practitioners is on par with other well-known anxiety assessment instruments, such as the DASR. Conclusion: In order to increase patient satisfaction and to prevent possible complications in such oral-surgical procedures, it would be useful to consider adequate therapy for high anxiety.

Impact of High-Speed Handpiece Noise- Induced Dental Anxiety on Heart Rate: Analyzing Experienced and Non- Experienced Patients - A Comparative Study

Preprint

Full-text available

Sep 2023

Background: Dental anxiety is very much common among the patients and could be due to different factors like the behavior of the dentist, past experiences, Needle phobia, or word of mouth from other patients. According to recent studies, a strong association between sound and anxiety has been found, so this observational study has been conducted to find out the link between the activation of anxiety with the sound of a handpiece between experienced patients, who have already gone through the dental treatments and non-experienced patients. METHODS Total of 297 participants were part of this study. These participants were divided into 2 groups according to the experienced and non-experienced dental patients. The researcher first filled out the CORAH anxiety form to mark the anxiety level of the patients, and then noted the readings of the heart rate in 3 intervals which were before during, and after the treatment with the pulse oximeter. Later the data was analysed using the spss paired t-test. RESULTS: Results show that patients in group 1 who have gone through the dental treatment before were less anxious and had a lesser effect on their heart rate than the patient who were having the treatment for the first time who were in group 2. Another interesting factor was noticed that in both the groups female were found to be more anxious than male participants. Participants with younger age were found to be more anxious than older age patient in both groups CONCLUSIONS: The sound of the handpiece can provoke anxiety in the patient, affecting the heart and increasing the heart rate. Participants who were experienced were found to be less anxious than the participants who were inexperienced

A clinical study of the piezosurgery, high-speed contra-angle handpiece, and the combined application of both for extraction of embedded supernumerary teeth

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023
BMC Oral Health

Objectives To compare the effectiveness of three methods: high-speed contra-angle handpiece (HSCAH), piezosurgery, and combined in the extraction of different locations and types of embedded supernumerary teeth. Methods Sixty cases with different locations and different types of embedded supernumerary teeth were randomly divided into three groups for extraction by HSCAH, piezosurgery, and the combination of both, and the intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the three groups were compared and analyzed. Results In the extraction of embedded supernumerary teeth in the inverted, horizontal, and root tip positions, the piezosurgery group required significantly longer operative time and reduced intraoperative bleeding compared with the HSCAH and the piezosurgery combined with the HSCAH; it could effectively relieve postoperative pain and facial swelling. In the extraction of oblique, orthodontic, middle, and crown segments of embedded supernumerary teeth, the use of a piezosurgery combined with an HSCAH can effectively reduce the operative time, while the factors of bleeding, postoperative pain, and facial swelling not statistically significant when compared with a piezosurgery. Compared with the HSCAH and combined piezosurgery, piezosurgery can significantly reduce the fear of patients. Conclusion Piezosurgery is effective in extracting embedded supernumerary teeth in inverted, horizontal, and apical positions, effectively reducing intraoperative and postoperative trauma and shortening the time required for healing. The piezosurgery combined with an HSCAH can effectively reduce intraoperative and postoperative trauma when extracting embedded supernumerary teeth in oblique, orthodontic, middle, and crown positions. piezosurgery is a technique suitable for the treatment of patients with fear.

Assessment of Clinical Parameters of Dental Anxiety during Noninvasive Treatments in Dentistry

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Dental anxiety is a matter of interest for the dentist since an anxious patient is a potential source of complications in the dental office. The main objectives of this study are to describe the correlation between dental anxiety levels and the values of physiological parameters related to dental anxiety and to study the evolution of blood pressure and heart rate over time during noninvasive dental treatments, i.e., not requiring local anesthesia. A descriptive, longitudinal, and prospective observational study was designed. The study population consisted of 200 patients who attended a university clinic for dental treatment without local anesthesia. The patients were asked to complete the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale. Afterward, blood pressure and heart rate were measured by means of a digital sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure and heart rate were taken throughout the procedure on four occasions. Most of the patients showed mild dental anxiety (5 [IQR: 3] points on Corah Dental Anxiety Scale). Significant but weak correlations were found between the level of dental anxiety and heart rate (Spearman rho: 0.166 and 0.176; p = 0.019 and 0.013; 3 min before and after treatment, respectively), as well as between the level of dental anxiety and the duration of treatment (Spearman rho: 0.191 3 min; p = 0.007). As for the evolution of physiological parameters, all patients showed a progressive decrease in values at different time points during treatment. When the types of treatment were evaluated separately, it was observed that there were statistically significant differences between them with respect to the level of dental anxiety (p = 0.006).

Can Intra-Oral Qualitative Sensory Testing Foretell Postoperative Dental Pain? A Preliminary Report

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Pain prevention and management is one of the primary goals of dental care. Postoperative dental pain (PDP) following caries removal and performance of a restorative dental treatment is a common clinical phenomenon, often causing significant discomfort to dental patients. In the present study, a psychophysical non-invasive method, qualitative sensory testing (QualST), was used in an attempt to foretell PDP following dental restorative procedures. Forty-two dental patients underwent an intra-oral cold QualST four times: immediately prior to a restorative dental procedure and at a follow-up meeting 1–3 weeks later, on the treated and on the contralateral oral sides. The QualST measures included subjects’ evaluation of the magnitude of pain and cold sensations experienced (on visual analogue scales) and the duration of the cold sensation (in seconds). Additional measures included age, gender, level of dental anxiety, jaw treated, and type of dental restoration performed (Class I or Class V). Subjects’ PDP was assessed through the phone using numeric rating scales 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. The highest level of PDP experienced by subjects occurred 24 h postoperatively (ANOVA with repeated measures). Of the study variables, the QualST pain sensation (B = 0.645, p < 0.001), duration of the cold sensation (B = 0.042, p < 0.05), and an interaction between gender and dental anxiety (B = 0.136, p < 0.05) emerged as possible predictors of the highest PDP experienced by subjects (stepwise regression). The results suggest that subjects’ reaction to an intra-oral cold stimulation of the oral mucosa can serve as a potential tool to foretell postoperative dental pain following restorative dental procedures.

Oral health care-seeking behaviour and influencing factors among 18-34 years old women in Kochi, India

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2020

INTRODUCTION Oral health has long been recognized as an integral part of general wellbeing and a contributory factor to the quality of life. It is an important but overlooked component of overall wellbeing among children and adults. Oral health problems such as dental caries, periodontitis, and oral cancers are widely prevalent across the globe. 1 With the increasing life expectancy of the Indian population, oral health plays a critical role in improving the quality of life of an individual. 2 The prevention and the promotion of oral health and disease have been established as high priority by the World Health Organization. 2 Health Seeking Behaviour (HSB) involves the action to be taken by an individual to preserve or regain good health. 3 HSB is also a decision-making process influenced by individuals and/or household behaviour, community norms, expectations, and also by the provider or system-related characteristics. 4 As health seeking behaviour is influenced by the individual self, diseases, and the availability and accessibility of health services, it is often regarded as a determinant of health outcomes in a community. 5-7 In both developing and developed ABSTRACT Background: Oral health, though an integral part of general health, is accorded low priority and remains an issue of neglect. Women during their reproductive years suffer from various oral problems that warrant timely utilization of care. Understanding factors affecting health-seeking behavior is necessary. The objective of this study was to determine the personal level and system-level factors that affect utilization of oral health care among 18-34 year-old women visiting a dental health care facility. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 18-34 year old women. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling from a tertiary dental health care facility. A Chi-square test was used to determine the association of sociodemographic variables on factors affecting the utilization of oral care. Results: A total of 194 responses were obtained. The mean age of study participants was 27.1±5.2 years. Around 62% of women suffered from multiple dental problems in the past year of which tooth decay and swelling of gums were most common. About 68% of them sought treatment with a dentist. Half of the respondents were themselves responsible for making health care decisions. 55% of the participants reported barriers in availing dental care. The cost of dental treatment, fear of pain, and lack of time were the most commonly reported barriers. Conclusions: Oral health-seeking behaviour among women was found to be good with regard to dental attendance. Personal level barriers were greater than system-level barriers in availing dental care.

Prevalence of Chronic Pulpitis among 13 to 17 Year Old Pediatric Patients Visiting Private Dental Institution in Chennai : A Retrospective Study

Article

Dec 2021

Introduction: Pulpitis is a debilitating inflammation of the pulp of the tooth. Bacteria infiltrate the pulp of the tooth, causing it to swell. It may affect one or more teeth. Pulpitis comes in two varieties - acute and chronic. Chronic pulpitis is a long-term inflammation of the pulp tissue that results in permanent damage to the reliability of the pulp tissue. Aim: To assess the prevalence of chronic pulpitis among 13 to 17 year old pediatric patients visiting the private dental institution in Chennai. Materials and Methods: Case sheets of patients were obtained from Record management system software for analysis. Patients with chronic pulpitis within the age group 13 to 17 were selected and the sample size was found to be n = 165 patients. The collected data was then tabulated for statistical analysis using SPSS. Results: From the results obtained in our study , chronic pulpitis was most prevalent in females with age of 16 particularly in mandibular molars (16.97% in 36 and 13.94% in 46). Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study it can be concluded that mandibular molars were commonly affected due to chronic pulpitis and by knowing the prevalence and pathophysiology of chronic pulpitis, dental clinicians can prevent the progression of this condition.

Comparison of Dental Anxiety While Visiting Dental Clinics Before and After getting Vaccinated in Midst of COVID-19 Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

Vaccination is critical to control the rate of coronavirus transmission and infectivity. Since dental practices are a high-risk area for contacting the coronavirus, this fact generates psychological disturbances amongst the patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the levels of anxiety of the patients while visiting the dental practices before and after getting vaccinated. This cross-sectional study was carried out between March to December 2021. An electronic survey was distributed among the vaccinated individuals who visited dental clinics before and after getting vaccinated. The survey consisted of 4 parts: demographic characteristics, questions related to coronavirus, anxiety scores before and after getting vaccinated. SPSS-25 was used to perform statistical analysis where paired t-test was used to compare the anxiety scores, and Mann Whitney u test to assess the association of gender with anxiety scores. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. A total of 400 vaccinated individuals participated in this study with a response rate of 88.23%. The majority of respondents (71.0%) did not test positive for coronavirus. More than half of the participants (54.0%) reported not to be suffering from any coronavirus-related symptoms. About 100 (25.0%) of the individuals stated the dental clinics to be an environment of high risk for contracting the coronavirus. About the comparison of mean MDAS scores of participants before and after getting vaccinated, a significant difference (p=0.001) was found. Vaccination has been recommended for all eligible individuals to control the transmission and infectivity of the corona virus. Vaccinations have decreased the dental anxiety of the patients while visiting the dental clinics. However, the protective measures are still valid and should be followed regardless of the vaccination status.

Exploring Dental Anxiety among Male and Female across Adolescents, Young Adults, and Middle Adults

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2021

Introduction: Dental anxiety is a state of uneasiness and worry, making the patient feels that something terrible will happen to him regarding dental treatment and procedure. Research suggests that dental anxiety is a prominent factor in leading to avoidance of dental treatment by the patients. The intensity of dental anxiety varies individually and across gender. Research suggests that adopting healthy dental care habits encourages good oral health, contributing to the quality of life, whereas poor dental habits can lead to dental problems. Therefore, the present study attempts to explore the level of dental anxiety and dental care habits across age groups and gender. Methods: The sample consists of 150 patients from Delhi/National Capital Region. They were divided into three age groups – adolescence (n = 50), young adulthood (n = 50), and middle adulthood (n = 50). Modified Dental Anxiety Scale was used to assess dental anxiety and a semi‑structured interview was taken to assess the level of dental hygiene among the patients. Results: there are statistically significant differences in dental anxiety scores between males and females. Our results also point that these gender differences persist across age groups – adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood on dental anxiety. Conclusion: The findings reveal higher dental anxiety levels among adolescents, which gradually increase with age. Furthermore, females are more susceptible to have dental anxiety than males. Thus, dental professionals should provide age and gender‑targeted counseling to avoid dental anxiety among their patients. Keywords: Adolescence, dental anxiety, dental hygiene, middle adulthood, young adulthood https://www.jdrr.org/text.asp?2021/8/2/107/321526

hemodynamic status for patients anesthetized by epinephrine containing local

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2020
JRMDS

Background: Local anesthesia with epinephrine became extensively used in the dental clinic to stop pain during treatment. This clinical prospective study was aimed to explore the effect of local anesthesia with epinephrine on the patient's systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate before dental extraction procedure. Materials and methods: Sixty-four healthy patients enrolled in this study (33 females and 31 males). The patients were attending the clinic for dental extraction. An automated blood pressure measuring device (beurer, German) was used to measure the blood pressure and pulse rate at two time points (before treatment and 5 minutes after local anesthesia injection). The statistical tests that applied by using "Statistical Package for Social Sciences program (SPSS version 18)" were: Mean, median, range, paired sample t test and independent sample t test. The level of significance tested as probability value (p-value): Not Significant (P>0.05), Significant (P<0.05). Results: Statistical analysis showed non-significant changes (P>0.05) observed in the means of systolic blood pressure (119.09 ± 11.96mm/hg) to (120.87 ± 15.11mm/hg) and diastolic blood pressure (75.98 ± 10.18mm/hg) to (76.60 ± 9.57mm/hg). Significantly increase in the pulse rate (P<0.05) from (87.57 ± 9.37mm/hg) to (89.51 ± 9.67mm/hg), with the changes more obvious in females. Type of injection (infiltration/block), and the patient's age showed no significant effect. Conclusion: In accordance with the number of the applied data, this study does not detect obvious influence on the systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure of healthy patients after local anesthesia administration. On the other hand, the local anesthesia administration has a pronounced effect upon the patient’s pulse rate.

38. The prevalence of anxiety and fear in dental patients A short study

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2020

Karandeep Singh Arora

Background: Dental anxiety and fear are the major complications for both patient and dental care providers. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety and fear in patients visiting the dental institute with respect to their gender. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 100 patients were provided with certain questionnaire which included two sections. The first section concerning age, gender, educational level, frequency of dental visits, reasons for irregular attendance, and existence of past traumatic experience. The second section comprises modified dental anxiety scale. Data was collected and analyzed with respect to gender using the statistical analysis. Results and Conclusion: Anxiety‐associated dental treatment is widespread in the study population. Dental anxiety was higher in women and in the patients with traumatic dental experiences.

Anxiety and pain perception in patients undergoing mandibular autogenous block bone surgery

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2020

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate pain perception and anxiety within the context of surgery for the placement of mandibular block bone and to evaluate the causality effect between theses variables. Material and methods: A total of 13 patients were recruited for the study and were submitted to mandibular autogenous block bone surgery. Demographic data were collected and the anxiety level was determined using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The STAI was administered on the day of surgery and on the 14th postoperative day. Pain was determined using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and limitation of daily activities and postoperative symptoms were also reported. Data were analyzed using parametric tests (α=0.05) and cross-lagged analysis was performed to verify a causality effect. Results: Few patients reported interference with daily activities or the presence of postoperative symptoms. A significant association of bad breath/taste with STAI-State was detected on the 14th postoperative day. No evidence of causality between STAI and VAS was detected. Conclusions: The patient's self-evaluation indicates that the pain and anxiety level felt during treatment was not directly associated with the clinical aspects of the surgical procedure or with postoperative activities/symptoms limitations. Key words:Anxiety pain, questionnaires, autogenous bone block, treatment, outcomes.

Dental anxiety at Riyadh Elm University Clinics

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2019

Context: Anxious patients are difficult to manage and tend to avoid dental treatment. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore dental anxiety (DA) among patients visiting Riyadh Elm University (REU) clinics. Materials and Methods: Dental patients were first oriented about the purpose of the study and then signed consent before filling a ten-item quantitative DA questionnaire that included demographic variables of age, gender, and educational level. Responses were scored on a scale of 1–4 for each question, and an overall questionnaire score of 40 was obtained. Low anxiety was considered with at or below 15, moderate anxiety between 16 and 27, and high anxiety at or above 28. Statistical analysis was performed with frequencies and cross-tabulation by Chi-square and Student's t-test. Results: Of 365 respondents, the majority (50.1%, n = 183) showed moderate anxiety followed by 104 participants (28.5%) showing high anxiety while only 78 participants (21.4%) exhibited low DA. Among the high DA group, 81% were female (n = 84) while 19% were male (n = 20) and this difference was statistically significant. High DA was recorded in patients aged 13–18 (25%) and 19–25 years (27%) compared to other age groups; however, the difference was statistically insignificant. Furthermore, schoolchildren demonstrated high DA (53%) compared to other educational levels, yet the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: A considerable number of patients attending REU dental clinics exhibited DA that was more intense among female patients, younger age groups, and the less educated individuals. Keywords: Dental anxiety, dental anxiety score, dental treatment, questionnaire http://www.saudijos.org/text.asp?2019/6/2/101/264763

Prevalence of Dental Anxiety among Undergraduate Students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2018

Background: Dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias and among the major problems in dentistry. Students in the medical field are future health professionals who are supposed to provide a positive attitude toward dentistry to the society. However, if they have dental anxiety, their attitude toward dentistry is likely to be negative. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental anxiety among undergraduate students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Methodology: This was a descriptive cross‑sectional study involving undergraduate students at MUHAS. Data were collected using self‑administered Modified Dental Anxiety Scale questionnaire with additional questions on demographic characteristics and a list of fear‑provoking factors. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences computer software version 19.0 (2010; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Chi‑square test was used to assess the association between variables, and the significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: This study enrolled 252 undergraduate students with an age range of 18–39 years. More than half (54.4%) were males. Most (55.2%) of the participants had some degree of dental anxiety. The prevalence of dental anxiety was relatively higher in females (70.4%). The association between dental anxiety and degree courses was significant. Dental students had the lowest dental anxiety level compared to nondental students. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental anxiety among undergraduate students at MUHAS was high. Dental anxiety was significantly higher in female students. There was a significant relationship between dental anxiety and the degree course of the participants.

Psikolojik Travma Sebebi Olarak Subjektif Ağız Kokusu ve Olfaktör Referans Sendrom Olfactory Reference Sydrome and Halitosis As a Cause of Psychological Trauma

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2016

Murat Eren Ozen

42 alitosis "kötü ağız kokusu"nu tanımlamak için kullanılır ve profes-yonel diş bakımı arama ihtiyacını beraberinde getirir. 1 Amerikan Diş Hekimleri Birliği'nin verileri bu sorunun erişkinkerin %50'sinde görüldüğünü ve %25 oranda kronik bir sorun olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. 2 Günümüzün ticari reklam baskıları halitosis gibi problemlere karşı top-lumun yönelme davranışlarını değiştirmş, bunun sonucu olarak olumsuz psikososyal değişimler üzerinde daha büyük etki göstermiştir. 3 Erkeklere oranla, kadınların kendi kötü ağız kokuları için daha fazla endişe duyduk-ları da ayrı bir bulgu olarak çıkmış olup, kişiler arası ilişkilerde ağzın rolü-nün çok büyük öneme sahip olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. 4-8 Kişisel bildirime dayalı yapılan birçok çalışmada halitosisin sıklıkla ki-şilerin kendileri tarafından algılanmadığına vurgu yapılmıştır. 6,7,9 Birkaç ça-Psikolojik Travma Sebebi Olarak Subjektif Ağız Kokusu ve Olfaktör Referans Sendrom Ö ÖZ ZE ET T Halitosis, kaçınma davranışları ve sonucunda kişiler arası ilişkileri sınırlayan, sadece diş he-kimleri tarafından değil, aynı zamanda psikiyatrik/psikolojik destek gerektiren bir sorundur. Aynı zamanda kişisel özbakımın az olması ile de ilişkilidir. Halitosisin psikojenik nedenleri arasında diş hekimlerinin tanıda zorlandıkları, aslında psikiyatristler tarafından takip ve tedavi edilmesi gere-ken Olfaktör referans sendrom (ORS) yer almaktadır. Tanı, ayırıcı tanı, seyir ve tedavisi zor olan bu sendromun genel özellikleri bu makalenin konusudur. A An na ah h t ta ar r K Ke e l li i m me e l le er r: : Subjektif halitosis; halitosis; tip V halitosis; olfaktör referans sendrom; travma; psikiyatri A AB BS S T TR RA AC CT T Halitosis is a problem, with avoidance behaviors and resulting limitation of interper-sonal relations, that needs not only by dentists, also by psychiatric/psychological support. At the same time, it is also related to personal self-care. In the causes of psychogenic halitosis, as a forced problem that dentists are held with the diagnosis, actually, Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) exists which must be followed and treated by psychiatrists. The issue of this article is ORS, which has difficulties in diagnosis, differential diagnosis, course and treatment. K Ke ey y W Wo or rd ds s: : Subjective halitosis; halitosis; type V halitosis; olfactory reference syndrome; trauma; psychiatry T Tu ur rk ki iy ye e K Kl li in ni ik kl le er ri i J J O Or ra al l M Ma ax xi il ll lo of fa ac c S Su ur rg g-S Sp pe ec ci ia al l T To op pi ic cs s 2 20 01 16 6; ;2 2((1 1)): :4 42 2-7 7 Murat Eren ÖZEN, a Halil COŞKUN b a Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kliniği, Özel Adana Hastanesi, b Serbest Diş Hekimi, Adana Ya zış ma Ad re si/Cor res pon den ce:

Evaluation of Anxiety, Pain, and Hemodynamic Changes during Surgical Removal of Lower Third Molar under Local Anesthesia

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2018

Aim The aim of this study are to determine the hemodynamic changes in healthy patients during the surgical removal of lower third molar and to evaluate whether these variations are attributable to patient anxiety and pain experienced during surgical procedure. Materials and Methods Sixty healthy patients were evaluated (i) to determine the hemodynamic changes (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], heart rate [HR], and oxygen saturation) at nine occasions: before starting the surgical procedure, 1 min and 4 min after local anesthetic injection, during the incision, at the time of ostectomy, at the completion of tooth removal, at the start and completion of suturing, and finally, after completion of surgery and (ii) to evaluate whether these variations are attributable to patient anxiety and pain experienced during the surgical procedure. Hemodynamic variables were compared between the gender and at different time points by performing two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures. Global mean values of hemodynamic variables were compared between male and female using unpaired t-test. Categorical variables were compared by Chi-square test. All the tests were two-sided. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results SBP and DBP showed significant changes; the highest value was recorded at the time of ostectomy/tooth sectioning. Maximum HR was observed 4 min after local anesthetic injection and the lowest HR was recorded after completion of tooth extraction, i.e., during the suturing. In females, mean HR was significantly increased. Conclusion The present study suggests that dental anxiety impacts the effect of delivery of local anesthesia on blood pressure and is significantly associated with increased HR.

Psychometric assessment of anxiety with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale among central Indian adults seeking oral health care to a dental school

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2016
Ind Psychiatry J

Background Anxiety toward dental treatment can cause people to delay or avoid seeking oral health care despite being in need of treatment. Therefore, recognizing such anxious patients and their appropriate management plays important aspects in clinical practice. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the level of dental anxiety (DA), factors affecting it, and anxiety toward dental extraction among adults seeking dental care to a dental school in Central India. Materials and Methods The study sample consisted of 1360 consecutive patients aged 18–70 years. Participants completed a questionnaire while in the waiting room, which included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) to assess the level of DA. An additional item was included which asked participants to rate the anxiety felt on having a tooth extracted. Results Among the study group, 65.1% were men and 34.9% were women. Based on the MDAS score, 41.8% of the participants were identified to be less anxious, 53.2% were moderately or extremely anxious, and 5% were suffering from dental phobia. Female participants and younger patients were more anxious (P = 0.0008). Patients who were anxious had postponed their dental visit (P = 0.0008). Participants who had negative dental experience were more anxious (P = 0.03). Nearly, 83% reported anxiety toward extraction procedure. A significant association was observed between anxiety toward dental extraction and the patients' gender (P = 0.03), age (P = 0.0007), education level (P = 0.03), employment status (P = 0.0006), income (P = 0.0007), self-perceived oral health status (P = 0.03), and their history of visit to dentist (P = 0.02). Conclusion Majority of patients in this population revealed high levels of DA. Factors such as age, gender, education level, occupation, financial stability, and previous bad dental experience influence DA to various levels. Extraction followed by injection of local anesthetics and drilling of tooth provoked more anxiety.

Evaluation of fear of injections and its association with avoidance of dental treatment

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2016

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of needle phobia and to evaluate the different dimensions of fear of dental injections to help provide better care to the patients. Materials and Methods: A simple random technique was used and 250 adult patients above 18 years of age were selected who attended outpatients Department of Operative Dentistry, Baqai Dental College. A modified form of the structured questionnaire used by Milgrom et al . was generated. The items were scored based on the 5-point traditional Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Data were analyzed for descriptive analysis (mean, standard deviation) using the software SPSS version 19. Association of gender with fear of dental injections was evaluated using Chi-squared test ( P = 0.05). Results: There was a statistically significant difference in fear of dental injections among male and female subjects. The most fearful aspect of dental injection was found to be fear of cross-infection. Fears associated with local anesthesia, for example, inadequate numbness, adverse reaction, and trouble in breathing or swallowing were the least common fears reported by the patients. Conclusion: This study highlighted that understanding the nature and extent of patients' fear of injection is important for dentists to expand their knowledge of the association of fear of dental needles for the impact on the treatment outcome and reluctance of the patients intervene.

Evaluation of fear of injections and its association with avoidance of dental treatment

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2016

Aisha Wali

Dental Anxiety: Prevalence and Evaluation of Psychometric Properties of a Scale

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2013

Aim: To estimate the reliability and validity of the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and identify the prevalence and the effect of the socio-demographic characteristics of dental anxiety, in a sample of 212 adults. Methods: The psychometric sensitivity of the scale was assessed. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and the convergent validity and internal consistency were determined. The prevalence of anxiety was estimated, and the effect of socio-demographic variables on anxiety was assessed using structural equation modelling. Results: The participants’ mean age was 33.5 (SD = 15.6) years, and 62.3% were female. There was an adequate factorial adjustment of the scale in this sample. The convergent validity and internal consistency were adequate in the one-factor model. Regarding two-factor model, there was a high correlation (r) among the factors, which jeopardized the discriminant validity. A total of 47.6% of the participants (IC95% = 40.9 - 54.4) presented low levels of anxiety, 32.5% (IC95% = 26.2 - 38.9) moderate levels, and 12.3% (IC95% = 7.8 - 16.7) exacerbated levels. There was a non-significant effect of gender, age and education on the anxiety levels of this sample. Conclusion: We concluded that the one-factor model presented better psychometric qualities, that anxiety was highly prevalent and there was no significant effect of the demographic variables on anxiety, in this sample.

Validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale in Saudi adults

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2014

Objectives: To test the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS), and to correlate it with other demographic data. Methods: The original English version of the MDAS was translated into Arabic, and then translated back into English by experienced bilingual professionals. Four hundred and seventy-four patients referred to dental clinics for treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from November 2012 to June 2013 participated in the study. The assessment tool included questions regarding demographic characteristics, frequency of dental visits, the Arabic version of the MDAS, and the patient's rating of their current level of anxiety using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: The Arabic version of the MDAS had excellent internal consistency and reliability (Alpha coefficients >0.90). The scale was unidimensional, and the percentage of patients with dental anxiety was 48.3% (using a cutoff total score of >15) and with dental phobia was 2.5% (using a cutoff total score of >16). Younger patients, females, and infrequent visitors to the dentist were more anxious than those who were older, male, and frequent visitors. Visual analogue scale scores correlated significantly with individual items on the MDAS questionnaire and total anxiety score, supporting the criterion validity. Conclusion: The Arabic version of the MDAS presented adequate internal consistency reliability, allowing its safe use to assess levels of dental anxiety in Arabic-speaking populations.

Die klinisch-psychologische/ psychotherapeutische Lehr- und Forschungsambulanz (‚PsyAmb‘) stellt sich vor: Eine Einrichtung zur Erforschung der Neurobiologie psychischer Störungen und ihrer verhaltenstherapeutischen Behandlung.

Article

Full-text available

May 2012

Prevalence of dental anxiety and its relation to age and gender in coastal Andhra (Visakhapatnam) population, India

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2014

Background: Dental fear, anxiety and phobia have consistently been reported as widespread problems that persist despite the technological advances that have made dentistry less painful and less uncomfortable. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety (DA) and its relation to age and sex among Coastal Andhra (Visakhapatnam) population. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled study was designed among 340 individuals at GITAM Dental College and Hospital, Visakhapatnam. The sample for the study consisted of 180 female and 160 male subjects between 15 and 65 years of age; all were supplied with two questionnaires (Corah DA scale [CDAS] and Clarke and Rustvold dental concerns assessment scale describing anxiety provoking stimuli. The Mann-Whitney U-test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were applied (significance level P < 0.05). The correlations between the two questionnaires were calculated using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: Two questionnaires were collected from all 340 individuals and the Indian translation of both instruments was found to be internally reliable with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.093. Overall prevalence of DA was high (77.4%) but severe (22.6%) anxiety (phobia) was low. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant relation between age and DA. The mean CDAS scores were high in 25-35 (11.08) and low in 55-65 (9.45) year age groups. Mann-Whitney U test showed significant relation between sex and DA. Mean CDAS score levels were significantly higher in females (10.88) than in males (9.96) (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Patients anxious about dental procedures are often more difficult to treat. If Dentists become aware about the level of DA among their patients, they can anticipate patient's behavior and can be prepared to take behavioral/pharmacological measures to reduce anxiety levels.

The Impact of Dental aesthetics among adolescents

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2013

The relationship between global self-esteem and dental self-confidence suggests the need to draw attention to psychological aspects involved in the treatment in order to promote not only the dental health, but also the psychological well-being.

Prevalence of Dental Anxiety among Patients Attending a Dental Educational Institution in Chennai, India - A Questionnaire Based Study.

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2013

Objectives: Anxiety and fear towards dental treatment are common problems frequently experienced by patients worldwide, hence for better understanding, management and development of treatment strategies for dentally anxious patients, the present study was undertaken. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dental anxiety and the factors influencing dental anxiety among the patients attending the outpatient department of a dental institution in India. Method: 468 patients, 18-70 years were selected for the study. The assessment tools consisted of a consent form, history form, and a questionnaire form containing the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale which was used to assess the level of dental anxiety. Results: Cronbach alpha for test retest samples was 0.863.The mean total anxiety score of the 468 samples was 10.29 (SD = 3.767). 3% were dentally phobic. One way ANOVA showed a significant difference between the age groups in relation to their mean total anxiety score (p<0.05) and it decreased with increasing age. Independent t test showed a highly significant difference in the mean total score between the patients with good and bad previous dental experience (p<0.05). Postponement of dental visit showed a significant positive correlation with anxiety score (p<0.001). Conclusion: Tooth drilling for restorative purposes and local anaesthetic injections, were the most common reasons for dental anxiety. Younger respondents, uneducated, unemployed and lower income group were more anxious. The study also showed that postponement of dental visit and past negative dental experience were associated with higher anxiety scores.

Reliability and validity of the Tamil version of Modified Dental Anxiety Scale

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2012
J Oral Sci

The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Tamil version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). One hundred and forty-six patients attending the Outpatient Department of SRM Dental College, Chennai, India consented to participate in the study. The assessment tools consisted of a history form, Tamil version of the MDAS questionnaire and a form for Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The Tamil version of MDAS had a good internal consistency of 0.839. The mean total score decreased with age. Females were more anxious than males (10.16 and 9.43, respectively). Uneducated, unemployed and low income subjects were more anxious than their counterparts who were educated, employed and from a higher income group. Persons who perceived their oral health as poor were more anxious. Independent t-test showed a highly significant difference in the mean total score of the respondents who had postponed their dental visit due to anxiety (t-test 6.494, P < 0.001). VAS and MDAS scores showed a highly significant correlation (r = 0.827, P < 0.001). This supported the convergent validity of MDAS. The Tamil version of MDAS showed acceptable psychometric properties. (J Oral Sci 54, 313-320, 2012).

Managing Fear and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Dental Hygiene Visits with Guided Biofilm Therapy: Analysis of Psychological and Physiological Differences Between Women and Men—A Conceptual and Multivariate Regression Model

Article

Apr 2025

Background: Dental anxiety is a significant barrier to dental care, leading to avoidance behaviors and compromised oral health. This study aimed to analyze fear and anxiety during dental hygiene visits with Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT), focusing on gender differences in psychological and physiological responses to develop a more personalized approach to dental care. Methods: A total of 247 patients participated in this study. Psychological assessments included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI X2), while physiological responses were measured through heart rate monitoring before and after procedures. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of anxiety levels. Results: Multivariate regression analysis identified gender, sensory sensitivity (e.g., absence of tools in the field of view), past traumatic dental experiences, and individual preferences for anxiety reduction as significant predictors of anxiety levels. Gender differences were also observed in anxiety management strategies, with women more frequently preferring the elimination of sensory triggers and direct communication with dental professionals. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of personalized anxiety management protocols in dentistry. Tailored communication strategies, optimized clinical environments, and individualized pre- and post-procedure care plans can enhance patient experience and treatment acceptance. Implementing such patient-centered, data-driven approaches aligns with the broader principles of precision medicine in dental care.

Developing and validating a scale to measure perceived barriers to prosthodontics treatments among partially edentulous patients

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2025

Background People experiencing tooth loss need dental prostheses to preserve the integrity of their oral structures and replace the missing teeth. Patient-related outcome measures (PROMs) for perceived barriers to prosthodontics treatment are scarce in the literature. Aims The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive scale to identify and measure barriers to prosthodontic treatment as perceived by partially edentulous patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among N = 334 partially edentulous adults who seeking prosthodontic treatment. Data collection was carried out in February to September 2024. Exploratory factor analysis was utilized to elucidate the latent factor structure. A six-factor model was validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The convergent and discriminant validity of the final scale were assessed. Results EFA produced a 21-item scale grouped into six factors that explain 75.78% of the total variance with eigenvalues >1. All items showed acceptable reliability, ranging from 0.807 to 0.935. The first factor pertained to financial constraints; the second factor was concerning lack of knowledge and awareness; the third factor was related to anxiety and fear; the fourth factor related to negative past dental experiences; the fifth factor included issues related to limited accessibility to dental services; and the last factor was concerning insufficient dental guidance. The CFA results indicate an acceptable model fit, with standardized factor loadings spanning from 0.54 to 0.99. The model factors’ convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed. Conclusion This study enhances the understanding of barriers to prosthodontic treatment in a Saudi Arabian teaching dental hospital. It introduces a novel scale for further data collection, aiding policymakers and stakeholders in addressing these barriers and improving public oral health. Future studies should validate this scale and explore its applicability in various contexts and populations.

Dental Anxiety Levels and Implementing Anxiety-Reduction Techniques in Pre-and Post-Operative Dental Patients

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2024

Background Dental anxiety significantly impacts patient comfort and treatment outcomes in dental practice. Evaluating pre-operative anxiety-reduction interventions among adult dental patients undergoing routine procedures is crucial. This study aims to explore effective strategies to alleviate dental anxiety, potentially revolutionizing its management and enhancing patient comfort.Methods Seventy adult participants undergoing routine dental procedures were included. Demographics were recorded, and pre-operative dental anxiety levels were assessed using the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+). Participants received two anxiety-reduction techniques during procedures, and anxiety was reassessed post-operatively.ResultsSignificant reductions in anxiety scores were observed post-intervention. Female participants' anxiety decreased from 2.5 ± 0.76 to 1.56 ± 0.46, and male participants' anxiety decreased from 1.70 ± 0.57 to 1.13 ± 0.17. Both low education (2.22 ± 0.77 to 1.40 ± 0.43) and high education groups (1.64 ± 0.70 to 1.14 ± 0.19) exhibited decreased anxiety. Both intervention techniques, rest and breaks (2.01 ± 0.78 to 1.31 ± 0.36) and distraction (2.27 ± 0.77 to 1.42 ± 0.46) were effective.Conclusions This study demonstrates that pre-operative anxiety-reduction interventions effectively reduce dental anxiety in routine procedures. Both rest and breaks and distraction techniques significantly lowered anxiety levels across participant demographics, suggesting potential benefits for patient comfort and dental care outcomes.

Effect of awards after dental care in children’s motivation

Article

Dec 2018

Aims To verify the effect of awards after dental care in children’s motivation in two visits to the dentist and if differences occur between genders. Methods This was a randomised and blinded study with a systematic convenience sample consisting of 306 children of 4.99 ± 0.89 years old, with no previous dental experience for both genders, who sought the public dental services. The children were divided into Control group (G1) and Experimental group (G2), who received a positive reinforcement technique with awards after dental care. A projective test with the Venham Picture Test self-analysis was applied and the inference test was the Chi square test with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results In G1, there was evidence of a significant association between the T1, T2 and T4 application times and anxiety levels measured in children (p < 10− 4; x² = 15.43), this same association was observed for the G2 group (p < 10− 10; x² > 29.46). For boys there was no significant difference of anxiety between G1 and G2 groups, however in G2, girls showed more anxiety before dental treatment (p = 0.0095; x² = 6.71) and less anxiety than boys during the second visit (p = 0.0014; x² = 10.20). Conclusions The award after dental care demonstrated a positive result for the decrease of anxiety in preschool children for two visits to the dentist. Girls in the experimental group showed less anxiety than boys during the second visit.

Validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the state-trait anxiety inventory in a Saudi dental setting

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2016

Maha Bahammam

Objectives: To test the psychometric properties of an adapted Arabic version of the state trait anxiety-form Y (STAI-Y) in Saudi adult dental patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the published Arabic version of the STAI-Y was evaluated by 2 experienced bilingual professionals for its compatibility with Saudi culture and revised prior to testing. Three hundred and eighty-seven patients attending dental clinics for treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry Hospital, King Abdullah University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. The Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings of anxiety were used to assess the concurrent criterion validity. Results: The Arabic version of the STAI-Y had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.989) for state and trait subscales. Factor analysis indicated unidimensionality of the scale. Correlations between STAI-Y scores and both MDAS and VAS scores indicated strong concurrent criterion validity. Discriminant validity was supported by the findings that higher anxiety levels were present among females as opposed to males, younger individuals as compared to older individuals, and patients who do not visit the dentist unless they have a need as opposed to more frequent visitors to the dental office. Conclusion: The Arabic version of the STAI-Y has an adequate internal consistency reliability, generally similar to that reported in the international literature, suggesting it is appropriate for assessing dental anxiety in Arabic speaking populations.

Intervention for Reducing Dental Fear and Anxiety of Dental Patients

Article

Jun 2015

The purposes of this study were to assess dental fear and anxiety level of patients attending a dental clinic using the dental fear survey (DFS) scale, to apply interventions chosen by patients for reducing dental fear and anxiety and measure their effects. This study surveyed 34 patients who visited a dental clinic in Seoul about their self-rated health and their experience of dental fear, and measured the level of dental fear using DFS. Trained dental hygienists applied interventions desired by the patients for reducing dental fear and anxiety and, for each intervention, examined the patients` satisfaction (very helpful [5 point]~not helpful at all [1 point]). Collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 21.0 through independent t-test or one-way ANOVA for difference in level of fear according to related characteristics, and through Wilcoxon signed rank test for comparison between before and after the intervention. The subjects` mean level of fear (DFS score) was 44.53, which was an average level, and the level of dental fear was relatively high for stimulus-response (2.72). The level of dental fear was higher in those who had experienced pains or indirect dental fear from dental treatment in the past, and those whose subjectively perceived health state was poor (p

Differentielle Neurobiologie emotionaler Verarbeitung bei spezifischen Phobien – Implikationen für die Psychotherapie

Article

Apr 2013

Gibt es bei spezifischen Phobien differentielle neurobiologische Korrelate emotionaler Verarbeitung in Abhangigkeit bestimmter Personenvariablen (wie Geschlecht und Alter) und konnen solche Befunde genutzt werden, um psychotherapeutische Strategien zu verbessern bzw. zu individualisieren? In der folgenden Ubersicht wird dieser Frage nachgegangen, indem die Zahnbehandlungs- und Spinnenphobie naher betrachtet werden. Der Einsatz neurobiologischer Verfahren zeigte, dass mannliche und weibliche Zahnbehandlungsphobiker eine unterschiedliche zentralnervose Verarbeitung phobischer Reize aufwiesen und zwar in solchen Arealen, die fur Schmerz- und selektive Aufmerksamkeitsprozesse bzw. Emotionsregulation relevant sind. Auserdem gewichteten sie spezifische Angstinhalte anders. Bei Spinnenphobikerinnen konnten in Abhangigkeit vom Lebensalter differentielle neurobiologische Reaktionen auf eine Expositionstherapie beobachtet werden. Elektrokortikale Veranderungen waren bei Kindern frontaler lokalisiert, setzten zeitli...

Validation of the Malay version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and the prevalence of dental anxiety in a Malaysian population

Article

Jul 2014

AimThe aims of the present study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Malay version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and to determine the prevalence of dental anxiety and associated factors in a Malaysian population.MethodsA Malay-language questionnaire with questions to elicit demographic and dental care-related information, and the Malay version of the MDAS, were administered to 455 patients at the dental outpatient clinics of the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. Factor analysis and internal consistency statistics were generated. A test–retest of the questionnaire was performed with 30 participants.ResultsCronbach's alpha was 0.854, indicating good internal consistency. Factor analysis yielded results showing good validity. Approximately 3.5% of the participants expressed the highest levels of anxiety. Dental anxiety was significantly higher among females than males. Age correlated inversely with dental anxiety. Individuals seeking dental care only if a problem appeared had significantly more anxiety than regular attendees. Patients who postponed treatment because of fear had significantly higher anxiety levels than those who delayed treatment for other reasons. Past adverse dental experience exacerbated dental anxiety.Conclusion The Malay version of the MDAS had good reliability and validity. Anxiety levels found in the Malaysians studied were comparable to participants from other countries.

Role of topical drugs in treatment of oral mucosal diseases. A literature review

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2013
New York State Dent J

Few topical formulations have been designed specifically to treat oral mucosal diseases. Local drug delivery may provide a more targeted and efficient option than systemic delivery for diseases of the oral mucosa. The permeability to the topical drugs differs according to the thickness of the epithelium and the extent of keratinization. The loss of the permeability barrier in the oral mucosa, due to ulceration or erosion, leads to rapid diffusion of the drug into tissues as compared to the intact areas of the mucosa. Oral mucosal delivery has the potential to treat many different conditions and diseases, such as oral cancer, mucositis, lichen planus, herpes simplex, candidiasis, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, vesiculo-bullous diseases, neuropathic pain and salivary dysfunction. Each therapy requires distinct penetration and drug retention profiles in order to optimize treatment and minimize side effects. In this paper, topical medications are discussed, as these are advantageous for the treatment of oral mucosal lesions with fewer side effects.

Assessment of general pre and postoperative anxiety in patients undergoing tooth extraction: A prospective study

Article

Jan 2013

Our aim was to analyse the amount of anxiety and fear felt before, immediately after, and one week after, dental extraction. We studied 70 patients (35 men and 35 women (mean (SD) age 43 (±10) years), who were listed for dental extraction under local anaesthesia in a private clinic that specialised in oral surgery. Patients were evaluated on 3 consecutive occasions: immediately preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 7 days later. Each patient's anxiety was measured using Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spanish version), the Modified Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Dental Fear Survey. There were significant differences in the STAI-Trait scale between before and 7 days after extraction (p=0.04), and in the MDAS between before and immediately after extraction (p=0.02), and between immediately after and 7 days after extraction (p=<0.001). The DFS also differed between before and immediately after extraction (p=0.002), and between immediately and 7 days after extraction (p<0.001). Dental anxiety immediately after tooth extraction may be influenced by operative techniques (type of anaesthesia, duration of operation, or position of tooth extracted), but anxiety at 7 days after extraction is not.

Dental Anxiety and Oral Health Outcomes among Rural Older Adults

Article

Oct 2011

The objective of this study is to determine the degree to which rural older adults are able to complete a measure of dental anxiety and to assess the prevalence, as well as the demographic and oral health characteristics, of individuals reporting high dental anxiety. A population-based sample of 635 African American, American Indian and White older adults (age ≥ 60 years) completed an in-home survey, and 362 dentate participants completed an oral examination. Dental anxiety was measured using the four-item Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Gender, ethnicity, age, education, and oral health outcomes were compared between those who completed all four DAS questions (completers) and those who did not (noncompleters) as well as, among completers, those with high versus low DAS scores. There were 94 (14.8%) noncompleters. Noncompletion was associated with older age, lower education, being edentulous, and having gingival recession. 12.4% of DAS completers had high DAS scores, which was more common among those aged 60-70 years, women, and those with oral pain and sore or bleeding gums. In logistic regression analysis, only sore and bleeding gums had a significant association with a high DAS score (odds ratio = 2.40, 95% confidence interval 1.09-5.26). About one in eight rural older adults have high dental anxiety, which is associated with poor oral health outcomes. Identifying new approaches to measure dental anxiety among a population with limited interaction with dental care providers is needed.

Frontal late positivity in dental phobia: A study on gender differences

Article

Aug 2011

Although dental phobia afflicts men and women, gender differences in neural correlates of this disorder have not been investigated thus far. We recorded event-related potential (ERPs) in 30 individuals with dental phobia (15 women, 15 men with comparable disorder severity) and 30 nonphobic controls (15 women, 15 men) while they passively viewed pictures depicting dental treatment, generally fear-eliciting, disgust-eliciting and neutral contents. Male and female individuals with dental phobia as compared with controls displayed an enlarged centro-parietal late positivity (300-1500 ms). Gender difference concerned prefrontal ERPs. Only men with dentophobia showed an enhanced positivity towards the phobic relative to the neutral pictures in the time window between 300 and 1500 ms. Such a differentiation was absent in the other groups (male controls, female phobics, female controls). This finding indicates a gender-dependent recruitment of frontal attention networks in dental phobia and might reflect that male and female sufferers of dentophobia differ with regard to controlled attention focusing and cognitive avoidance during exposure.

Age of Onset in Different Phobias

Article

Full-text available

Aug 1987

Lars-Göran Öst

The age of onset, other background data, and measures from behavioral avoidance tests were studied in 370 phobic patients. They belonged to six different categories: agoraphobia ( n = 100), social phobia ( n = 80), claustrophobia ( n = 40), animal phobia ( n = 50), blood phobia ( n = 40), and dental phobia ( n = 60). Results showed that animal phobia had the earliest onset age (7 years), followed by blood phobia (9 years), dental phobia (12 years), social phobia (16 years), claustrophobia (20 years), and agoraphobia (28 years). The groups also differed in marital and occupational status, heart rate, anxiety experiences during the behavioral test, and general fearfulness. On the whole, agoraphobia and animal phobia stood out as the extremes on many measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Cognitive Correlates of Dental Anxiety

Article

Full-text available

Feb 1994

This study examined cognitive correlates of dental anxiety among 24 highly anxious patients and 17 low-anxious patients. In both groups, anxiety expectations, dental trait anxiety, and state anxiety (in the waiting room and in the dental chair) were rated. Negative cognitions and cognitive control were also assessed. It was found that dentally high-anxious patients claimed to experience more negative thoughts than those with low anxiety (p < 0.001). None of the highly anxious patients reported relatively few negative cognitions, and none of the patients in the low-anxiety group reported relatively numerous negative cognitions. While patients from both groups reported that cognitive control declined with the imminence of treatment, highly anxious patients were found to have less control over their negative thoughts (p < 0.001). A series of stepwise regression analyses revealed that both the number of negative cognitions and perceived cognitive control accounted for 75% of the variance in dental trait anxiety. The results of the present study suggest that cognitive activities, such as negative thinking (catastrophizing) and cognitive control, are important moderators of dental anxiety.

Prevalence and characteristics of dental anxiety in Danish adults

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1993

Prevalence, characteristics and consequences of dental anxiety in a randomly selected sample of 645 Danish adults were explored in telephone interviews. Participation rate was 88%. Demographics, fear of specific procedures, negative dentist contacts, general fear tendency, treatment utilization and perceived oral conditions were explored by level of dental anxiety using a modified Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). A Seattle fear survey item and a summary item from the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) were also included for fear description comparisons. Correlation between these indices (DAS-DFS: rs = 0.72; DAS-Seattle item: rs = 0.68) aided semantic validation of DAS anxiety intensity levels. Extreme dental anxiety (DAS > or = 15) was found in 4.2% of the sample and 6% reported moderate anxiety (DAS scores 14-12). Bivariate (B) and logistic regression (L) odds ratios (OR) showed that high dental anxiety was associated with gender, education and income, but not with age. Extreme dental anxiety for dentate subjects was characterized by fear of drilling (ORL = 38.7), negative dentist contacts (ORL = 9.3), general fear tendency (ORL = 3.4), avoidance of treatment (ORL = 16.8) and increased oral symptoms (ORB = 4.4). Moderate dental anxiety was also related to drilling (ORL = 22.3), but with less avoidance due to anxiety (ORL = 6.8) compared with low fear subjects.

Incidence of dental anxiety in young adults in relation to dental treatment experience

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2000

To document the incidence of dental anxiety among individuals aged 18 years at baseline and 26 years at follow-up, and to determine if dental treatment experience continues to play a significant etiological role with respect to the onset of dental anxiety in young adults. Dental anxiety scale (DAS; Corah, 1969) scores at ages 15, 18 and 26 were obtained for Study members in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Dental examinations were conducted, and sociodemographic and dental service-use data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Using a case definition of a DAS score of 13 or more, age 18-26 incident cases were identified and their dental treatment experience and service-use characteristics compared with the remainder. DAS scores at 18 and 26 were available for 792 (80.8%) of the 980 26-year-old Study members. An increase in dental anxiety prevalence was observed over the eight-year period, with an annualized incidence of 2.1%. Fewer incident cases had visited a dentist in the previous eight years, and there were no differences between incident cases and others in their eight-year DFS, FS or tooth-loss increments. A subgroup of "recurrent" cases was identified who were dentally anxious at 15 and 26 but not at 18, and their eight-year incidence of tooth loss due to caries was substantially higher than non-cases. Aversive conditioning experiences appear to be unrelated to the adult onset of dental anxiety, and it may be that particular temperamental or psychological traits are associated with the condition.

Psychological Disorder, Conditioning Experiences, and the Onset of Dental Anxiety in Early Adulthood

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2001

Most studies examining the origins of dental fear and anxiety have relied on cross-sectional data. These are subject to several problems, such as recall and uncertainty concerning temporal relationships. This paper uses longitudinal data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study to assess risk factors for the development of dental anxiety in persons between the ages of 18 and 26 years. It was hypothesized that psychological factors would be as important as conditioning experiences in the genesis of dental anxiety over this period. The eight-year incidence of dental anxiety was 16.5%. Five variables entered models predicting onset: multiple fears, symptoms of substance dependence, previous experience of invasive dental treatment, dental visiting pattern, and the extraction of one or more teeth. Separate analyses for those avoiding and those using dental services resulted in different explanatory models. These results indicated that both psychological and conditioning variables contributed to the development of dental anxiety in this population of young adults.

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2003

The main purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate whether dental anxiety is associated with the occurrence of trauma-related symptoms (i.e. recurrent memories and a tendency to avoid these memories) associated with earlier traumatic dental experiences. A sample of 37 consecutive anxious patients attending a dental fear clinic was assessed prior to dental treatment. The results were compared with those of a sample of 32 consecutive patients of a general dental practice, who served as a reference group. The proportion of patients who indicated they had had a horrific dental experience at least once in their life did not significantly differ between the anxious group and the reference group. Conversely, significantly more patients (76%) in the anxious group reported suffering from memories of these events. They also showed a higher level of trauma-related symptomatology as indexed by the Impact of Event Scale (IES). About half of the anxious patients suffered from symptoms typically reported by patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Severity of dental anxiety showed a high correlation with both frequency of intrusions (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) and avoidance of the memories (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). The results suggest that in anticipation of treatment dentally anxious individuals suffer from a high level of intrusive recollections of earlier dental experiences.

Are there differences in oral health and oral health behavior between individuals with high and low dental fear?

Article

Full-text available

May 2003

Epidemiological studies of the relationship between dental fear, use of dental services, and oral health in different age groups in a common population are scarce. Dental fear and its relationships are usually described in individuals with high dental fear only. The purposes of this study were to describe the prevalence of dental fear in the Norwegian adult population according to age, and to explore differences in oral health, oral hygiene, and visiting habits between individuals with high and low dental fear. For the present study, data from the Trøndelag-94 study were used. The prevalence of dental fear in our study population of adults in Trøndelag, Norway was 6.6%. There was a tendency for individuals with high dental fear to engage in avoidance behavior more frequently than the low dental fear group. Individuals with high dental fear had a statistically significantly higher number of decayed surfaces (DS), decayed teeth, (DT) and missing teeth (MT) but a statistically significantly lower number of filled surfaces (FS), filled teeth (FT), functional surfaces (FSS), and functional teeth (FST). There were no differences in DMFS and DMFT between the groups of high and low dental fear. Since one of the superior aims of the dental profession is to help a patient to achieve a high number of functional teeth throughout life, consequently detecting and treating dental fear should therefore be an important aspect of dental processionals' work.

Dental anxiety in an emergency dental service

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2004

The purpose of the study was to assess the frequency of dental anxiety and/or fear among patients in an emergency dental service. Research was based on interviews with 252 patients, aged 18 years old and over, attended at an emergency dentistry service of São Paulo, Brazil, from August to November, 2001. Two methods were used to measure dental anxiety: the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Gatchel Fear Scale. The study group answered questions concerning major complaint, how much time had elapsed since their last visit to the dentist and since the initial symptoms leading to the current visit to the emergency service, level of education, family income and previous traumas. Statistical analysis (chi2 and Fisher exact test) was performed to evaluate these characteristics. It was found that 28.17% of this sample was dentally anxious, according to the MDAS, and 14.29%, felt fear related to dental treatment according to the Gatchel Fear Scale. Women were more anxious than men at a statistically significant rate (MDAS). The time elapsed since the onset of initial symptoms was more than 7 days for 44.44% of the participants. A large proportion of anxious women returned to treatment during the last year. A previous traumatic experience with dental was identified in 46.48% of the dentally anxious patients. No significant relation between level of education or income and dental anxiety was found. Dentally anxious patients frequent attend emergency care. Females are more likely to report high dental anxiety than males. Previous experience seems to be an important factor contributing to avoidance of dental care.

The effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing and focused attention on dental anxiety in a private practice setting.

Article

Jan 2003
J Dent Hyg

PURPOSE: High dental anxiety is pervasive and associated with treatment avoidance and poor oral health. Ideally, anxiety reduction techniques should be easy to use, low in cost, non-pharmacological, comfortable, and effective. This study compared the effectiveness of two self-taught anxiety reduction techniques--breathing and focused attention--with a control group. METHODS: Anxiety was assessed in 272 adult private dental practice patients with a modified dental anxiety scale-revised. Frequency of oral health care visits in the last 10 years to all dentists, including the current dentist, was collected. Immediately prior to the dental procedure, participants in the two experimental groups were given written instructions outlining the respective anxiety reduction technique they were to use. Efficacy of technique was assessed by subjective comparison to anxiety during previous oral health treatment. Participants also listed techniques that they believed to be effective for anxiety reduction. RESULTS: Twenty-six participants (9.56%) scored high in dental anxiety. High anxiety was associated with infrequent oral health care visits. Compared to the recall of anxiety experienced during prior treatment, there were no significant differences in anxiety between breathing, focusing, and control groups. But there was a trend toward decreased anxiety overall. Controls who reported infrequent visits and use of their own anxiety reduction technique showed significantly reduced anxiety. CONCLUSION: Dental patients employ numerous strategies for anxiety reduction. Anxiety reduction techniques not yet practiced may place unwanted expectations on patients. It is suggested that oral health care practitioners be aware of the patient's preferred technique for coping with anxiety and encourage them to use self-help techniques.

The relationship of age and gender to fear and anxiety in response to dental care

Article

Jan 1997
Spec Care Dent

J.M. Holtzman

The apparent association in the published literature of gender and age with dental fear and anxiety is far from consistent or universal. A random, age-stratified telephone survey of 398 adults was performed in a US metropolitan area: Denver, Colorado. Information collected included Kleinknecht's Dental Fear Survey (DFS). In addition to total DFS scores, values were also calculated for the sums of the five DFS physiologic response items (PATRESP) and 12 DFS fear-producing stimulus items (DENTSTIM). Tests for reliability of these three scales were performed (alpha = 0.804 to 0.936). In this sample population, significant age and gender differences were noted. In general, fear and anxiety decreased in importance with increased respondent age, with the largest difference noted between the 40-50 and 60-69 age groups. Increased fear and anxiety were most apparent among younger females (20-30 and 40-50) as compared with older females (60 and older). However, among males, the summary variable for physiologic response to fear and anxiety did not appear to be age-related. Among the oldest respondents (ages 70+), 12.2% did report a "major" response to muscle tension when in the dental chair. Females reported more fear of some stimuli associated with dental care (e.g., "feeling the drill in the mouth") than did males.

7/Use of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale in the Elderly

Article

Jun 1986

Reviews the use of the 1st author's (1965) Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) in published studies with the elderly. Also, the authors' files provided publications that used the SDS in geriatric settings not identified in the literature search. Data indicate that (1) the SDS can be used with most aged Ss, (2) increasing SDS scores in life reflect the opinion of many clinicians that vulnerability to depression increases in old age, (3) the SDS can demonstrate significant differences between depressed elderly and normal elderly Ss, and (4) the SDS demonstrates a precipitous drop in scores of elderly Ss who have been treated for depression. However, the accuracy of the SDS in cases of individual assessment is suspect, and readjustment of scoring may produce higher sensitivities and correct classification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The relationship of age and gender to fear and anxiety in response to dental care

Article

Jun 2008
Spec Care Dent

The apparent association in the published literature of gender and age with dental fear and anxiety is far from consistent or universal. A random, age-stratified telephone survey of 398 adults was performed in a US metropolitan area: Denver, Colorado. Information collected included Kleinknecht's Dental Fear Survey (DFS). In addition to total DFS scores, values were also calculated for the sums of the five DFS. physiologic response items (PATRESP) and 12 DFS fear-producing stimulus items (DENTSTIM). Tests for reliability of these three scales were performed (alpha = 0.804 to 0.936). In this sample population, significant age and gender differences were noted. In general, fear and anxiety decreased in importance with increased respondent age, with the largest difference noted between the 40–50 and 60–69 age groups. Increased fear and anxiety were most apparent among younger females (20–30 and 40–50) as compared with older females (60 and older). However, among males, the summary variable for physiologic response to fear and anxiety did not appear to be age-related. Among the oldest respondents (ages 70+), 12.2% did report a “major” response to muscle tension when in the dental chair. Females reported more fear of some stimuli associated with dental care (e.g., “feeling the drill in the mouth”) than did males.

Measuring the quality of life of cancer patients: A concise QL-Index for use by physicians

Article

Jan 1981
J Chron Dis

To complement the hard variables generally used in the assessment of different treatments for cancer and other chronic diseases we developed a ‘hardened’, succinct quantitative index to measure the quality of life (QL-Index) of survivors. It was designed for use by physicians. It has five items and its range of scores is 0–10. It was used in pretests and validation tests by more than 150 physicians to rate 879 patients; median completion time was one minute. Fifty-nine percent of physicians reported that they were at least ‘very confident’ of the accuracy of their scores. We established predetermined criteria for validity before field work commenced and evaluated the index using convergent and discriminant approaches of construct validity, as well as content validity. The QL-Index has convergent discriminant and content validity among cancer patients and patients with other chronic physical diseases. Assessment of internal consistency demonstrated a high coefficient (Cronbach's α = 0.775) and the interrater Spearman rank correlation was high and statistically significant (rho = 0.81, P < 0.001) when independent scores of two physicians were compared, or doctors ratings were compared to self-ratings of patients (rho = 0.61, P < 0.001) Our aim has been to provide a new measure that can help physicians assess the relative benefits and risks of various treatments for serious illness and of supportive programs such as palliative care or hospice service. The QL-Index is not, however, suitable for measuring or classifying the quality of life of ostensibly healthy people.

Diagnostic categories of dental anxiety: A population-based study

Article

Feb 1999
BEHAV RES THER

This study aimed to use a population-based sample to assess the psychological validity of the Seattle system for diagnosing dentally anxious individuals. This system consists of four diagnostic types in which such individuals are categorized according to the main source of their fear regarding dental treatment. Subjects were 1420 randomly selected adults aged 18 years and over who took part in a two-stage mail survey. The questionnaires contained measures of dental anxiety and standardized measures of general anxiety and fearfulness. Allocation to the Seattle categories was based on responses to four diagnostic items. Overall, 16.4% of the sample were dentally anxious. Their distribution across the four Seattle types was as follows: type I (simple conditioned phobia) – 49.6%; type II (fear of catastrophe) – 7.8%; type III (generalized anxiety) – 19.4% and type IV (distrust of dentists) – 9.9%. The remaining 13.3% could not be categorized. Judging by their scores on measures of dental anxiety, these subjects were borderline cases. Scores on the measures of anxiety and fearfulness indicated that the diagnostic system was valid and identified sub-groups of the dentally anxious population which were internally consistent. However, all subjects indicated extreme fear of dental treatment and were broadly similar in terms of their cognitive and behavioral responses to dental care. Of particular interest was the distribution of diagnoses according to age. Younger subjects were more likely to be categorized as type I, while older subjects were more likely to be categorized as type III. Overall, the results indicate that dental anxiety is a complex fear with a number of components.

Assessment of a Dental Anxiety Scale

Article

Dec 1978
J AM DENT ASSOC

A number of different sets of data concerning the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale were evaluated. The data indicate that the scale is a reliable, valid, and useful measure of dental anxiety. It can be successfully used in the dental office or in research projects.

The Depression Status Inventory: an adjunct to the Self-Rating Depression Scale

Article

Nov 1972

William W.K. Zung

Development of Dental Anxiety Scale

Article

Jul 1969

Norman L. Corah

Gender and age differences in attitudes to dental pain and control

Article

Sep 1997

In the literature, it is usual to find women and younger subjects reporting higher levels of dental anxiety than men and older subjects. Fear of pain was found to be the most important predictor of dental anxiety and issues of control were also related to such anxiety. Therefore, it was predicted that gender and age differences would be reflected in attitudes to pain and control. Subjects were randomly selected from the voters' list in metropolitan Toronto and mailed a questionnaire with a request for cooperation in a study of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour regarding dental treatment. The questionnaire included demographic data, measures of dental anxiety and painful experiences as well as the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale and the Iowa Dental Control Index. The results supported the main predictions. In addition, attitudes to pain and control were found to be complex phenomena with characteristic gender differences.

Gender, psychosocial factors and the use of medical services: A longitudinal analysis

Article

Jun 1999

Many researchers have reported gender differences in levels of reported symptoms, morbidity, mortality and medical care utilization, but the debate continues about the underlying causes of these differences. Some have argued that women use more medical services because they are more sensitive to symptoms and interested in health, while others believe that women's greater service utilization arises from the fact that women experience more morbidities than do men. To date, these questions have not been studied prospectively. Using data from a household interview survey carried out in 1970-1971 and linked to 22 years of health services utilization records, we explored the effects of gender, self-reported health status, mental and physical symptom levels, health knowledge, illness behaviors and health concerns and interest on the long-term use of health services. After controlling for the aforementioned factors, female gender remained an independent predictor of higher utilization over the 22-year period studied, and psychosocial and health factors measured at the initial interview predicted service use even 19-22 years later. Controlling for factors identified as likely causes of gender-related differences in healthcare utilization, gender remains an important predictor of medical care use before and after removing sex-specific utilization. In addition, the consistent predictive ability of attitudinal and behavioral factors, combined with the finding that health knowledge did not predict utilization, indicates that efforts to help patients assess their service needs should target the attitudinal and behavioral factors that vary with gender, rather than health-related knowledge alone.

A clinical study of child dental anxiety

Article

Feb 2000
BEHAV RES THER

Dental fear in children was studied using Rachman's theory of fear acquisition. Sixty children from two age groups (7-10 years, 11-14 years) participated in the project. The children were new patients attending a paediatric consultation clinic for specialised dental treatment. Thirty-one were diagnosed as being clinically anxious regarding dentistry and 29 were found to be nonanxious. Information regarding children's past experiences and present level of anxiety was obtained from the examining dentist, the children and their parents. Mothers were also interviewed and observed to ascertain their own anxieties and behaviour. The results showed that of Rachman's three pathways to fear, conditioning appeared largely responsible for the children's development of dental fear. Children's fear was more strongly associated with subjective experience of pain and trauma than with objective dental pathology. Indirect learning processes were found to be of only minor importance in this study.

Effect of gender on acute pain prediction and memory in periodontal surgery

Article

May 2000

Pain is a complex experience that is affected by factors such as gender, stress, anxiety and cognitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-relationship between gender and acute pain prediction and memory under periodontal surgery treatment. The study was conducted on 15 male and 22 female dental patients (mean age 34 yr, mean education level 14.7 yr), who were scheduled for periodontal surgery. Patients were evaluated during four consecutive appointments: at initial check-up, immediately pre-operatively, 1 wk post-operatively, and at 4 wk post-operative follow-up. Patients were requested to complete questionnaires concerning their anxiety at each appointment and to indicate their subjective evaluations concerning pain (on a visual analogue scale). Evaluations concerning expectation to experience pain during the planned surgery (pain prediction) were made at the first two appointments and evaluations of the experienced pain as remembered from the surgery (pain memory) were made at the last two appointments. Gender had a significant effect on pain prediction and pain memory. Men expected to experience more pain pre-operatively than women but remembered less pain post-operatively. It was concluded that cognitive pain perception in clinical situations differs between genders.

Dental anxiety among patients prior to different dental treatment

Article

May 1999

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate dental anxiety among patients anticipating various dental treatments. One hundred and eighty patients who were scheduled for specific dental treatments at the School of Dental Medicine, the Hebrew University--Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel participated in the study. Patients were anticipating one of the following dental procedures: scaling, filling, root canal therapy, preparation for crown, periodontal surgery or extraction. For each of the six dental treatments, 30 patients were selected at random. Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) questionnaires were completed by the patients while waiting for their treatments. The results indicated that extraction caused the highest score, followed by scaling (though not significantly). Patients in the 35 to 49 year age group showed the highest total DAS scores. Women demonstrated higher total DAS scores than men. The relative influence of gender, type of treatment and age on the anxiety scores is demonstrated by using logistic regression, which revealed gender to have the strongest impact on the DAS scores, followed by the type of treatment and age.

Dental anxiety among Israeli dental students: A 4-year longitudinal study

Article

Sep 2000

The aims of the present study were (a) to evaluate students' estimation of their parents' dental anxiety; (b) to measure students' dental anxiety and to study their ranking of the most fear provoking stimuli in the dental situation during their pre-clinical and clinical years; (c) to investigate gender differences among students with regard to dental anxiety. 30 3rd-year students (15 male and 15 female) who completed a 4-section questionnaire which requested sociodemographic information, evaluation of parents' dental anxiety, dental anxiety scale (DAS) and dental fear scale (DFS), completed the DAS and DFS in their 5th and 6th years. Both male and female students estimated their mothers' dental anxiety as significantly higher than their fathers'. Female students ranked their parents higher than males. DAS scores were significantly higher among female students than among males in the 3rd year. However, DAS scores were reduced from the 3rd to the 6th year among the total class and significantly among females, while males' levels of anxiety remained within close range throughout the years. The dental anxiety scores of all students who experienced a dental procedure in the past were higher than the scores of the students who did not. The most fearful stimulus was 'feeling the needle'. Our findings may suggest that the change in the reported dental anxiety of the students during the years of dental studies in the present study may be explained by the increased professional education and clinical experience that the students acquire throughout their studies in the dental school. Being exposed to basic trivial dental procedures (such as local anaesthetic injection) may help students either to be habituated or to use rational coping strategies when dealing with personal dental experience.

Dental Anxiety among young adolescent patients in Israel

Article

Jul 2000

To evaluate adolescents' dental anxiety using self-reported questionnaires previously given to adults. One hundred and four patients (42 boys, 62 girls) aged 12-18 years who attended their paediatric dentist completed a questionnaire in the waiting room. The survey consisted of three sections: sociodemographic information for the children, a dental anxiety scale (DAS), and a dental fear survey (DFS). The scores of the girls were higher than the boys in every DAS item as well as in the total score. Girls showed higher DFS scores than boys in most items. The most anxiety-provoking stimuli were feeling and seeing the needle. In the most anxiety provoking stimuli, among the boys who reported higher DFS scores (categories 3, 4, 5), the DAS scores were higher than the scores of the girls. As the stimulus became less anxiety-provoking, such as sitting in the dental chair, the DAS scores of the girls in these categories were higher than boys. Significantly more girls' responses were in categories 3, 4 and 5 in the items dealing with the needle and the drill, while no significant difference was observed among the boys and girls regarding sitting in the dental chair. It is concluded that individual personality traits may be the final factor to indicate those who will eventually develop higher dental anxiety, and those who will not. The difference could be also in the conditioning process and learned responses (male and female education) that these individuals have experienced in life.

Catastrophic thinking and experience of pain during dental procedures

Article

Jan 2001
J Indiana Dent Assoc

In recent years, considerable research has addressed psychological predictors of pain, emotional distress, and avoidance in relation to dental treatment. Our work has focused on how "pain catastrophizing" impacts on the physical and emotional distress experienced during dental procedures. Pain catastrophizing refers to individuals' tendency to focus excessively on pain sensations and exaggerate their threat value, and to feel helpless in their efforts to reduce or manage their pain. Several studies reveal that pain catastrophizers report extreme pain even in response to dental procedures not typically considered to be painful. In this paper, we also discuss how practitioners who foster the disclosure of dental worries and concerns can significantly reduce the physical and emotional distress of patients who engage in catastrophic thinking.

Onset of and patterns of change in dental anxiety in adolescence and early adulthood: A birth cohort study

Article

Jul 2001
COMMUNITY DENT HLTH

To assess the onset of and patterns of change in dental anxiety during adolescence and early adulthood. A birth cohort study of 1,037 individuals born in Queen Mary Hospital, Dunedin, New Zealand between 1 April 1972 and 31 March 1973. Data were collected from these individuals at birth, every two years between the ages of 3 and 15 and at 18, 21 and 26 years. STUDY MEMBERS: Data on dental anxiety were obtained at the 15, 18 and 26-year assessments from 678 study members. Dental anxiety was assessed using the Dental Anxiety Scale. Study members with a score of 13 or over were classified as being dentally anxious. The prevalence of dental anxiety increased from 10.6% at age 15 years to 13.3% at 18 years and 21.1% at 26 years. Of the 31.2% who were anxious at one or more data collection periods, approximately one third were anxious by the age of 15, one third became anxious between 16 and 18 years and one third between 18 and 26 years. High rates of remission were observed. Of 72 study members who were dentally anxious at 15 years, 22% were persistent cases, anxious at all three data collection points; 24% were recurrent cases, anxious at 26 but not anxious at 18 years; and 54% were remitted cases, no longer anxious at 26 years. There were no gender differences in the onset and course of dental anxiety over the developmental periods observed. The period of observation was one of instability with respect to anxiety about dental treatment. Early adulthood in particular appeared to be a life stage during which this population was vulnerable to the onset of dental anxiety. This may be related to dental disease and treatment factors, or changing psychological states during significant life transitions.

[Emotional states related to dental treatment]

Article

Feb 2000
Ann Acad Med Stetin

Katarzyna Sporniak-Tutak

This study was concerned with negative emotional states often accompanying a visit to the dentist. Particular attention was paid to fear and anxiety, as well as factors modifying these emotions. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of HAD scale of self-evaluation and two dental treatment situations according to Corah. The questionnaire included a diagram and Eysenek's Personality Inventory (MPI) for the purpose of studying the patient's personality. 507 patients were studied and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. Correlations of anxiety and fear with age (Fig. 1), sex (Fig. 2), education level, profession, and personality (Fig. 3) were examined. The most important stressors (Tab. 2) during dental treatment, as well as the level of anxiety immediately before and during the visit were established. Questions addressed the influence of conversation with the dentist on anxiety and fear.

Psychological factors and perceptions of pain associated with dental treatment

Article

May 2002

Although pain during dental treatment has been identified as playing a major role in the onset of dental anxiety and is a major concern of patients when seeking dental care, there have been very few studies of the prevalence of pain during dental treatment and the factors associated with patients' perceptions of pain. This study used data from a longitudinal population-based study to assess the proportion of dental attenders who experienced pain while having dental treatment and the psychological characteristics which predisposed them to experience pain. Of 1422 subjects who completed questionnaires at baseline and five-year follow-up, 96.4% had visited a dentist over the observation period. Two fifths, 42.5%, reported having pain during treatment and one-fifth, 19.1%, had pain that was moderate to severe in intensity. Reports of pain were associated with the types of treatment received, and a number of baseline sociodemographic and psychological factors. In a logistic regression analysis predicting the probability of pain, a variable documenting the number of types of invasive treatment received (restorations, extractions, crowns/bridges, root canal therapy and periodontal treatment/surgery) had the strongest independent effect. Pain was also more likely to be reported by those with previous painful experiences and those who were anxious about dental treatment, expected treatment to be painful and felt that they had little control over the treatment process. Pain was less likely to be reported by those who said they were unwilling to accept or tolerate pain. Younger subjects and those with higher levels of education were more likely to report pain than older subjects and those with a lower educational level. These results indicate that pain is as much a cognitive and emotional construct as a physiological experience. They also have implications for dentists' behaviour when providing dental care.

Psychosocial consequences of dental fear and anxiety

Article

Apr 2003

David Locker

The aim of this study was to examine the negative psychosocial impacts of dental anxiety in a sample of dentally fearful and anxious individuals recruited from the general population. The associations between psychosocial impacts, dental anxiety scale (DAS) scores and other severe fears were explored. One hundred and thirty-five subjects who were anxious or fearful about dental treatment were divided into low and high general fear groups based on the number of other severe fears they reported. Negative psychosocial impacts were assessed using a modified form of the scale developed by Kent et al. (1996). This consisted of three dimensions: psychological reactions, social relationships and avoidance/inhibition. Other measures included self-ratings of oral, general and emotional health and scales to assess self-esteem and morale. Overall, 93.1% of subjects reported one or more impacts. Those in the high-fear group had higher psychosocial impact scores than those in the low-fear group (means of 4.19 vs. 2.85; P < 0.05). Differences were most marked with respect to psychological consequences and avoidance/inhibition. The high-fear group had scores indicative of lower self-esteem and lower morale. Forward stepwise linear and logistic regression analyses indicated that both dental anxiety and general fearfulness contributed to these negative outcomes. However, the latter was a more consistent predictor in that it entered six of seven models generated while the former entered only four. The study indicated that dental fear and anxiety have pervasive psychosocial consequences, and that these are more marked among subjects with high levels of general fearfulness. It also provided evidence of the validity of a modified form of the psychosocial impact scale developed by Kent et al. (1996).

Death anxiety and attitudes toward the elderly among older adults: The role of gender and ethnicity

Article

Jun 2003

The article investigated the relationship between death anxiety, attitudes toward older adults, and personal anxiety toward one's own aging in a group of 197 older men and women. As predicted, negative attitudes toward other older adults were predicted by personal anxieties about aging and death, and, more specifically, fear of the unknown. In addition, several distinctive anxieties were noted for particular subgroups of respondents. Older women scored higher on the Fear of the Dead subscale of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS) than did men. Caucasian participants displayed higher Fear of the Dying Process than did older African American participants. Lastly, older African American participants reported higher levels of death anxiety on 3 of the subscales of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (Fear of the Unknown, Fear of Conscious Death, and Fear for the Body after Death) when compared with older Caucasian participants and also tended to accord less social value to the elderly. These findings are interpreted in terms of patterns of socialization, and their implications for end-of-life care preferences are noted.

Dental anxiety in patients seeking care at the University Dental Hospital in Sri Lanka

Article

Jun 2003
COMMUNITY DENT HLTH

The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and factors affecting dental anxiety in patients seeking dental care. A cross sectional study. 503 first visit patients attending the University Dental Hospital in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Corah's dental anxiety scale was used to assess the dental anxiety in these patients. The prevalence of dental anxiety was 32% (DAS score > or = 12) while 12% were considered to be extremely anxious (DAS score > or = 15). Females were found to be more dentally anxious than males. Level of education was associated with dental anxiety. Problem oriented attenders had a significantly higher mean DAS score than regular attenders. Those who had an extraction at the last dental visit were significantly more dentally anxious than those who had a restoration/scaling. Negative dental experience was not associated with dental anxiety. The logistic regression model revealed that gender, level of education and 'fear' which was cited as the reason for the delay in seeking care for the presenting complaint were significant predictors of dental anxiety. However, only 4% of the variation in dental anxiety could be explained by these independent variables. Socio-demographic factors and variables related to past dental experiences had a limited influence in explaining dental anxiety in this sample of dental patients.

Gender-based differences in factors related to non-utilization of dental care in young Norwegians. A longitudinal study

Article

Nov 2003

The present study had the following aims: (i): to evaluate the utilization of dental care among young adults during the age period from 18 to 23 yr; and (ii) to explore possible characteristics at the age of 18 yr that may predict non-utilization of dental care at the age of 23 yr. Respondents from a random sample of adolescents that had been surveyed at the age of 18 yr (n = 968) were surveyed again at the age of 23 yr. The data were based on (1) baseline data collected at the age 18 yr, and (2) a questionnaire mailed to the same subjects at the age of 23 yr. The response rate was 69%. The time since the last dental appointment at the age of 23 yr was longer for men than for women. Of the 2% that had not been to the dentist for the last 5 yr or more, the majority were men (69%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the following characteristics at the age of 18 yr were predictive of being included in a non-utilization group (n = 45) at the age of 23 yr: multiple fears (odds ratio (OR) = 3.0), treatment at the age of 18 yr not completed (OR = 2.5), and high dental anxiety (OR = 2.0 for women and OR = 1.2 for men). These gender differences may influence future strategies for prevention of dropout from care and possible interventions aimed at bringing adolescents back to regular dental care.

Treating Fearful Dental Patients: A Patient Management Handbook

Jan 1995

P Milgrom
P Weinstein
T Getz

Milgrom P, Weinstein P, Getz T. Treating Fearful Dental Patients: A Patient Management Handbook. Second edition. Seattle: University of Washington, 1995.

Long-term treatment of anxiety disorders

Jan 1996

R Noyes
C S Holt
C L Woodman

Noyes R, Holt CS, Woodman CL. Natural causes of anxiety disorders. In: Mavissakalian MR, Pried RF, eds. Long-term treatment of anxiety disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatic Press, 1996.

Gender Differences in Dental Anxiety: Is the Chair Position Important?

Abstract

No full-text available

Recommended publications

[Dental office of the future. Thoughts on care, equipment and organization (I)]

[Problems in professional practice in 20 areas: a decalogue of dental ergonomics (DE)]

[Time and motion studies utilizing conventional and simplified dental equipment (author's transl)]

Four-Handed Dentistry in the Team Practice of Dentistry