-
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022Dental anxiety seems to be elevated in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and may be associated with feelings of helplessness, loss of control, and sensory...
Dental anxiety seems to be elevated in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and may be associated with feelings of helplessness, loss of control, and sensory overload. Dental anxiety, a primary contributor to dental avoidance, can lead to unwanted long-term oral hygiene consequences. This manuscript characterizes the frequency and correlates of dental anxiety in children with ASD. Specifically, this study examined associations between child-reported dental anxiety and parent-reported autism symptom severity, anxiety symptom severity, sensory sensitivity, and internalizing/externalizing symptom severity. Participants included 76 children without cognitive impairment (age in years = 9.9, = 1.8) who took part in a cognitive behavioral therapy study for children with ASD and co-occurring anxiety disorders. Elevated dental anxiety was found in 68% of participants based on a cut-off score from a dental anxiety measure, with fears related to pain being the most commonly endorsed concern; over half of youth endorsed feeling scared about pinching feelings or having a tooth pulled out at the dentist. No significant correlations between dental anxiety and other variables of interest were found, including overall anxiety severity, ASD symptoms, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and sensory sensitivities. The findings contextualize the frequency of dental anxiety and its relationship to various variables, which may be useful in tailoring existing treatments to reduce dental anxiety in children with ASD.
PubMed: 35463526
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.838557 -
International Journal of Clinical... 2021Initial perceptions of physicians can affect the level of comfort. Creating a strong rapport on the child's first visit helps to create a comfortable atmosphere....
AIM AND OBJECTIVE
Initial perceptions of physicians can affect the level of comfort. Creating a strong rapport on the child's first visit helps to create a comfortable atmosphere. Child-friendly clothing of the dentists might possibly contribute to the dentist's empathy. Different attires may evoke different feelings. Hence, the purpose of the study was to assess the children's preferences for dentist's attire and its relation with anxiety.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eighty children aged 5-12 years were included in the study. Five photographs of dentists wearing different attires were placed in the same order for every child. The child was asked to look at the photographs and decide which dentist they would prefer to take care of them. A facial image scale was used to evaluate the child's anxiety level. The children were asked to point at which face they felt almost like at that moment.
RESULTS
42.7% of males and 38.5% of females chose child-friendly attire. The least preferred by males was a pink apron (7.5%) compared with females (28.1%). Whereas the blue apron was least preferred by females (5.1%) compared with males (20%). A Chi-square test was done to access the association between dental anxiety and the dental attire the children chose, where statistically significant (0.030) results were found. Anxious children were found to prefer child-friendly attire.
CONCLUSION
Although the view that children are fearful of the white coat was not found, the concept of child-friendly attire might be more appropriate for anxious children and enhance an easy first communication with them.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
Sujatha P, Nara A, Avanti A, Child Dental Patient's Anxiety and Preference for Dentist's Attire: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(S-2):S107-S110.
PubMed: 35645473
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1940 -
Community Dental Health Aug 2022To investigate the relationships between dental anxiety, Facebook intrusion, and shame.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationships between dental anxiety, Facebook intrusion, and shame.
METHODS
A sample of 498 adults aged 16-69 years completed an online questionnaire comprising the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, the Facebook Intrusion Scale, and the Shame scale from the Test of Self-Conscious Affect.
RESULTS
Dental anxiety was positively associated with Facebook intrusion. There were also indirect effects of dental anxiety on Facebook intrusion through shame.
CONCLUSIONS
The results highlight the problem of dental anxiety in the context of Facebook intrusion risk. The findings may be applicable in Internet dependency prevention and treatment, focused on help in coping with the anxiety related to doctors' appointments.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Dental Anxiety; Emotions; Humans; Risk Factors; Social Media; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35605103
DOI: 10.1922/CDH_00034Sobol04 -
Contemporary Clinical Dentistry 2023Assessment of dental anxiety in children is difficult because of their immature cognitive and emotional development. Drawings are well well-established emotion...
BACKGROUND
Assessment of dental anxiety in children is difficult because of their immature cognitive and emotional development. Drawings are well well-established emotion assessment tool. These can be used as nonverbal methods of communication for expressing the children's anxiety and emotions. Art therapy utilizes creative therapy interventions to deal with children suffering from emotional problems.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study is (1) To assess the drawings of children for the presence of dental anxiety. (2) To study the effectiveness of art therapy on dental anxiety in children.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred and twenty children within the age group of 6-12 years were part of this study. The pretest assessment of dental anxiety was done using Frankl and Five facial anxiety scales. All the participants received local anesthesia during their first treatment session. At the end of the treatment session, all the participants were asked to draw a picture of their experience. The drawn figures were assessed by a psychologist. The children were allotted randomly into the study group ( = 60) and control group ( = 60). Art therapy was given to 60 children in the study group for three consecutive appointments. The posttest assessment of dental anxiety was done using Frankl and Five facial anxiety scales after completion of the entire dental treatment.
RESULTS
The pretest scores revealed very high level of dental anxiety in 33 (55%) children in study group and 34 (56.67%) children in control group. The posttest scores of study group, who received the art therapy, revealed that 24 (40%) children had little anxiety and 32 (53.33%) children had some anxiety. Whereas in the control group, the posttest scores showed 20 (33.33%) children had high anxiety and 39 (65%) children had very high anxiety scores. There was a significant correlation between the objective score of dental anxiety and the subjective scores of CD: H.
CONCLUSION
Drawings can be used as an assessment tool for the detection of dental anxiety and art therapy effectively reduces the anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing dental treatment.
PubMed: 38344159
DOI: 10.4103/ccd.ccd_432_23 -
Bioinformation 2022Dental Anxiety (DA) was the most frequent problem which can lead to the avoidance of treatment. Therefore, is to evaluate the DA level among patients of different...
Dental Anxiety (DA) was the most frequent problem which can lead to the avoidance of treatment. Therefore, is to evaluate the DA level among patients of different treatments. A questionnaire was distributed among the participants. The Modified Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to measure dental anxiety. In gender differences, it has been found that females were more anxious than male participants. The younger age group (18-30 years) was less anxious than the older age groups (P < 0.05). Most of the participants in all conditions were slightly anxious. Male participants exhibited less dental anxiety than females. This might be due to males being more stable emotionally.
PubMed: 37693923
DOI: 10.6026/97320630018982 -
Communication, Trust and Dental Anxiety: A Person-Centred Approach for Dental Attendance Behaviours.Dentistry Journal Oct 2020Effective communication forges the dentist-patient treatment alliance and is thus essential for providing person-centred care. Social rank theory suggests that shame,...
Effective communication forges the dentist-patient treatment alliance and is thus essential for providing person-centred care. Social rank theory suggests that shame, trust, communication and anxiety are linked together, they are moderated by socio-economic position. The study is aimed to propose and test an explanatory model to predict dental attendance behaviours using person-centred and socio-economic position factors. A secondary data analysis was conducted on a cross-sectional representative survey of a two-stage cluster sample of adults including England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Data were drawn from structured interview. Path analysis of proposed model was calculated following measurement development and confirmation of reliable constructs. The findings show model fit was good. Dental anxiety was predicted negatively by patient's trust and positively by reported dentist communication. Patient's shame was positively associated with dental anxiety, whereas self-reported dental attendance was negatively associated with dental anxiety. Both patient's trust and dentist's communication effects were moderated by social class. Manual classes were most sensitive to the reported dentist's communications. Some evidence for the proposed model was found. The relationships reflected in the model were illuminated further when social class was introduced as moderator and indicated dentists should attend to communication processes carefully across different categories of patients.
PubMed: 33066178
DOI: 10.3390/dj8040118 -
Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Research 2019The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental fear and the associations between dental fear and dental health and dental attendance among Finnish...
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental fear and the associations between dental fear and dental health and dental attendance among Finnish prisoners.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Eighty-nine voluntary male prisoners from the Pelso Prison participated in this cross-sectional clinical study between September 2014 and February 2015. Forty-six (51.7%) of them were also interviewed for their background factors, dental fear and dental attendance. To evaluate the prisoners' level of dental fear, the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and Dental Visual Analogue Scale were used. The numbers of decayed, missing, filled and remaining teeth reported dental health. For analyses Pearson's Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, logistic regression analyses and the independent samples Kruskall-Wallis test were conducted.
RESULTS
Among male prisoners four out of 46 (8.7%) reported severe and fourteen out of 46 (30.4%) moderate dental fear, 60.9% had mild or no dental fear. Those with no dental fear visited a dentist regularly more often than those with dental fear. The use of snuff and number of medications were positively associated with severe dental fear.
CONCLUSIONS
Dental fear is common among Finnish male prisoners. High number of prescribed medications, use of snuff and irregular dental attendance may indicate severe dental fear among Finnish male prisoners.
PubMed: 32158528
DOI: 10.5037/jomr.2019.10404 -
International Journal of Dentistry 2022To assess the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), dental anxiety (DA), and other factors among pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), dental anxiety (DA), and other factors among pregnant women.
METHODS
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) were used to evaluate GAD and DA, respectively. Hard copies of self-administered questionnaires were distributed among 780 pregnant women attending hospitals/health centers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
RESULTS
About 31.7% of the participants demonstrated minimal anxiety, 37.9% mild anxiety, 19.7% moderate anxiety, and 10.6% severe anxiety. The mean GAD score of the sample was 7.53 ± 5.16 which differed significantly among women in the first (7.74 ± 5.47), second (6.82 ± 4.64), and third trimesters (8.13 ± 5.37) (=0.029). Pregnant women who performed routine dental visits demonstrated lower GAD (6.98 ± 5.23) than those who visited dentists for consultation, pain, or treatment (7.58 ± 5.07). The mean GAD score was significantly higher among participants with dental pain or discomfort during the last 12 months (8.12 ± 5.05) than among those without pain or discomfort (7.02 ± 5.2) ( 0.003). Similarly, the participants with DA showed a significantly higher mean GAD score (7.69 ± 5.17) than those without DA (5.93 ± 4.71) ( 0.006). Multivariate linear regression showed that GAD significantly correlated with DA ( = 0.225, < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
In the present study, GAD was common among pregnant women which significantly correlated with DA. Pregnant women with DA and dental pain demonstrated high GAD. Preventive and therapeutic measures should be taken to reduce GAD and DA during pregnancy.
PubMed: 35242189
DOI: 10.1155/2022/1578498 -
Journal of Clinical and Experimental... Oct 2022There is little information about dental anxiety and the patient's vital signs during dental procedures. This study evaluates and compare patient anxiety levels and...
BACKGROUND
There is little information about dental anxiety and the patient's vital signs during dental procedures. This study evaluates and compare patient anxiety levels and cardiovascular changes before and during root canal treatment (RCT) and single-tooth implant procedures.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Preoperative data and pre-treatment considerations were recorded. HR and SpO2 were monitored during treatment procedures at five points. Data were analyzed accordingly using Mann Whitney or X2 tests. 80 patients met the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
Anxiety and fear scores were strongly correlated (< 0.001). Both treatments resulted in low levels of dental anxiety and fear. Patients with a prior dental bad experience presented higher anxiety scores in the implant treatment group (< 0.05). Implant treatment was considered a more time-consuming and more painful procedure than root canal treatment (< 0.05). No significant relation was found between the level of anxiety with HR and SpO2.
CONCLUSIONS
No significant relation was found between the level of dental anxiety with HR and SpO2. Single-implant treatment was pre-considered to be a more time-consuming and more painful procedure when compared with a RCT. HR was higher at the initial stages and decreased as both procedures finished. Dental anxiety, endodontics, dental implants, oximetry, heart rate.
PubMed: 36320669
DOI: 10.4317/jced.59281 -
BMC Oral Health Dec 2021Dental anxiety is associated with negative experiences of dental treatment and dental-visiting behavior. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) is widely used for...
BACKGROUND
Dental anxiety is associated with negative experiences of dental treatment and dental-visiting behavior. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) is widely used for assessing dental anxiety. The study aims to establish the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the MDAS based on the Taiwan sample (i.e., T-MDAS).
METHODS
The T-MDAS and dental-visiting behavior and experience were assessed for 402 adult subjects recruited from community and clinical sites. The following psychometric properties were assessed: (a) internal consistency, (b) temporal stability, (c) criterion-related validity (i.e., the association with the score of Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear, IDAF-4C), (d) discrimination validity (i.e., the difference in scores between the subjects with and without a habit of a regular dental visit, and (e) the construct validity from a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
RESULTS
The T-MDAS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88) and temporal stability (ρ = 0.69, p < 0.001). The score was significantly correlated with the score of the IDAF-4C (ρ = 0.76, p < 0.001) and differed between subjects who regularly visited a dentist or not, supporting good criterion-related validity and discrimination validity. Results from CFA supports good construct validity. Furthermore, higher dental anxiety was related to the lack of a regular dental visit, feeling pain during treatment, and feeling insufficient skills and empathy of dentists. A higher proportion of high-dental anxiety subjects in female subjects (8.5%), compared to male subjects (5.0%), was noted.
CONCLUSIONS
The T-MDAS is a valid tool for assessing adult dental anxiety. The score is highly associated with dental-visiting behavior and experience of dental patients.
Topics: Adult; Dental Anxiety; Fear; Female; Humans; Male; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taiwan
PubMed: 34920712
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-021-02017-w