Background: It is a very sad experience, as a clinician, to see a patient presenting very late at a dental offi ce with complicated oral health-related problems when the initial causal problem is very cheap, easy, and simple to treat. This study aims to determine the factors causing delay in seeking dental treatment among the patients visiting the dental clinic of the Fedearal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Methodology: This study was questionnaire-based survey of 172 non-paediatric patients attending the dental clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. Data was obtained on their socio-demographic characteristics and the reasons behind their late presentation. Data analysis was done using the SPSS Version 20 Software. Results: Most of the participating patients were males (57.6%), Muslims (73.8%) and of age 16 -35 years (65.1%). Also, 66.9% of them were from the Hausa tribe, 62.8% were married, and 40.1% had polytechnic/university education. The reasons indicated by the respondents for their delay in seeking early oral healthcare services at our dental clinic were diverse. However, the three most commonly given reason were: busy work schedules, dental anxiety, and preference for traditional treatment options. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of delayed presentation among patients visiting the dental clinic of the Federal Medical Centre situated in the Birnin Kebbi metropolis. This study also identifi ed the reasons for such delays. This study also corroborates other studies in ascertaining that delayed dental visit is a public health and clinical problem in the Nigerian setting. Hence, there is an imminent need to ensure that the public are educated on oral health issues.

ObjectivesTo explore the associations between previous dental visits and dental anxiety among patients presenting at the dental and maxillofacial surgery clinic of Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria.Materials and methodsThis study was a cross-sectional study conducted among 172 patients. Study instrument was a 9-item structured questionnaire, which obtained information about the participants regarding their: demographic profile; previous dental experience; and dental anxiety status in a dental and maxillofacial surgery consulting room. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS Version 20 Software. Associations between variables were evaluated using Chi-square statistics using a p < 0.05 to determine the level of statistical significance.ResultsRoughly, six-tenth (57.6%) of the participants were males. The observed prevalence of dental anxiety among the participants was 47.7%. A history of pain experience during past dental treatment as well as a history of past dental visit were found to have statistically significant relationships with participants’ dental anxiety status (p-values < 0.05). However, the frequency of previous dental visits, a history of past dental treatment, and a history of use of intraoral injections in the course of past dental treatment were found to have no statistically significant relationship with participants’ status of dental anxiety (p-values > 0.05). Finally, the prevalence of dental anxiety among the groups of female folks with “a history of previous visit to a dentist” and “a history of pain experience in the past dental treatment” were found to be significantly higher than that observed among similar groups among the male folks (p-values < 0.05).ConclusionPrevious experience of pain plays a major role of influence over dental anxiety experience among patients. Hence, dental practitioners need to pay more attention towards dental anxiety management among patients, especially women.

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