Prevalence and characteristics of dental anxiety in Danish adults

Abstract

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.

Utility of the visual analog scale for the assessment of dental anxiety

“…4%. 25 Women and the elderly show a higher level of anxiety, which was also confirmed in our study. (Tables 1 and 2).…”

The oral health of individuals with dental phobia: a multivariate analysis of the Adult Dental Health Survey, 2009

“…16 This high perceived need leads to feelings of negative social evaluation, and powerless 23 as well as having a negative effect on their attitude towards dental attendance. 24 This potentially has an impact on work situations, personal life and relationships with family members 1,6,25 which are affected by their negative thoughts and feelings, lack of selfesteem/confidence and sleep.…”

“…24 This potentially has an impact on work situations, personal life and relationships with family members 1,6,25 which are affected by their negative thoughts and feelings, lack of selfesteem/confidence and sleep. 23 The data presented in this study is extracted from ADHS. The methodology for ADHS has been refined and evolved for each decade using validated questionnaires and calibrated examiners.…”

Reconsidering Co-Morbid Traits in Explanatory Models of High Dental Anxiety Using a Comparison of Psychiatric and Normal Patient Samples

“…Dental anxiety (DA) is known as one of the most frequent reasons for avoidance of dental care and deteriorating oral health including tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth loss and complaints of dental problems, such as toothache, difficulty chewing and bleeding gums as shown in US [5] [6], Danish [7] [8], Swedish [9], and Dutch [10] studies. High DA, or in particular phobia (odontophobia, or OP) [11]) according to DSM criteria, is a mentally handicapping or disabling type of anxiety because of its impact on functional aspects of life, such as lack of sleep, difficulty eating and work loss due to painful symptoms [7] [8] [12] and quality of life can be affected [13].…”

“…High DA, or in particular phobia (odontophobia, or OP) [11]) according to DSM criteria, is a mentally handicapping or disabling type of anxiety because of its impact on functional aspects of life, such as lack of sleep, difficulty eating and work loss due to painful symptoms [7] [8] [12] and quality of life can be affected [13]. Many odontophobics hide their teeth and mouth in their daily social routine, affecting their selfimage and social life [14].…”