Prevalence of dental anxiety in the Netherlands

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dental anxiety in the Netherlands by means of both a nationwide representative sample and a valid measurement instrument. The secondary aim was to discriminate between patients with high and low levels of dental anxiety on the basis of socioeconomic and oral health variables. Results showed that about 40% of the Dutch population experience a considerable degree of anxiety about dental treatment, and more than half of them can be considered as highly anxious. Dental anxiety is related to sex, age, and oral health status. Individual most prone to experience dental anxiety are women between 26 and 35 yr of age who do not visit a dentist regularly, live in one of the big cities, have a moderate or high educational level, are Public Health Insurance (Ziekenfonds) patients with a minimum income, judge their oral health as bad, and do not attach much importance to the preservation of their teeth.

The use of dental anxiety questionnaires: a survey of a group of UK dental practitioners

“…It allows patients to indicate their anxiety and practitioners to plan treatment accordingly. [32][33][34][35][36] The authors are therefore, currently undertaking a randomized control trial within UK general dental practice. The aim is to try to establish the benefit to both patients and practitioners of the routine use of dental anxiety assessment questionnaires.…”

Dental fear in Australia: who's afraid of the dentist?

“…19 However, conflicting results can be found and there is some evidence that younger adults have the least fear of any adult age group. 3,20,21 In Australia, for example, the highest prevalence of fear has been found…”

Review of possible predictors for pain perception with class 1–5 cavity preparations using Er,Cr:YSGG laser: a retrospective clinical in vivo study

“…In posterior teeth, pain was most prevalent in class 2, though not to a statistically significant level. A closer look at prevalence of pain, with respect to patient age, found that young adults, age [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35], are the most likely to experience pain with laser preparations, when using the Er,Cr:YSGG system. This finding mimics the dental anxiety study by Stouthard et al [33], whereby the 26-35-year age group was the most likely to experience high levels of dental anxiety.…”

“…Using higher-power settings (3.75 W vs. 2.5 W) for cavity preparation, the resulting pain response was significantly higher, as indicated by the VAS pain scores (P value = 0.0001). As the patients' age increases, the frequency of those experiencing pain decreases, with the exception of a sudden spike for the cohort aged [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35], who proved to be the most sensitive to laser cavity preparation; this group was significantly different from all other age groups (P value = 0.0001). Conclusions The Er,Cr:YSGG laser system is an effective method for pain-free cavity preparations for 85% of the general patient population, who do not suffer from dental anxiety.…”