Use of dental anxiety questionnaire and clinical approaches: A National survey among pediatric dentists in India

Abstract

Background:The intensity and nature of dental anxiety varies between individuals. Dental anxiety has been documented as a cause of grave health issues in children and if continued till their adolescence, will lead to unsettling behavior while treatment. Hence, it is essential to recognize a dentally anxious child at the earliest using dental anxiety assessment indices. Hence, the study was planned to evaluate the use of dental anxiety assessment questionnaire and clinical approaches among pediatric dentist in their clinical practice in India. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the use of dental anxiety assessment questionnaire and the clinical approaches used among pediatric dentists in India. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to pediatric dentist, who are members of Indian Society of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, of which 227 members have responded. Information collected from each practitioner was analyzed to assess the use of these anxiety assessment questionnaire and their clinical approaches. Data were statistically analyzed using statistical package Epi Info. Results: Of the 227 participants, 54.6% were males, and 45.4% were females. The most frequently used technique was non-pharmacological behavior management technique (95.1%). Around 45% of them used dental anxiety assessment indices in their practice and most commonly used scale was Frankl behavior rating scale (51.8%). Conclusion: Results conclude that 44.5% of pedodontist used dental anxiety questionnaires in their clinical practice.

Evaluation of the factors related to dental anxiety in North Indian population: a questionnaire study

“…In our study the prevalence of anxious patients was quite high ranging to a maximum of 85 % when we calculated the anxiety levels between various groups we found that most of the young patients (below 30 years) (70%) were more anxious to dental treatment than the older age groups (30%), which can be explained on the fact that high percentage of young patients are usually more apprehensive. 7 Other researches which support this fact say that anxiety might decrease with age include the ability to cope with experiences or the phenomenon may be due to the ageing process itself characterized by a general decline in anxiety. 8,9 When gender was compared we found a relation between the gender of the patient and anxiety.…”