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Medical Science Monitor : International... May 2022BACKGROUND Fear has always been closely linked to dentistry but it could be intensified by the objective risks imposed by the pandemic. The objective of this study was...
BACKGROUND Fear has always been closely linked to dentistry but it could be intensified by the objective risks imposed by the pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine the profile of the frightened dental patient during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine measures taken by dentists to reduce fear and increase security among their patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS An anonymous online survey was conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2021. The respondents were 2060 adult citizens of the Republic of Serbia. In addition to demographic data, data related to the COVID-19 pandemic, dental fear, and attitudes and fear of dental interventions during the ongoing pandemic were compiled. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: the chi-square test and Pearson's coefficient. RESULTS Seventy percent of the respondents felt some level of fear of the ongoing pandemic, 50% felt fear of going to a dentist during the pandemic, 20% considered a dental office a hotspot for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and 43% would visit their dentist only in the case of emergency. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the attitudes and behavior of people pertaining to visits to dental offices. Identifying frightened patients and their opinions and fears at this challenging time would make it easier for dentists to include protocols in their everyday practice to increase a sense of security among their patients, such as implementing preventive measures in front of the patients, ensuring an empty waiting room, and providing telephone consultations.
Topics: Adult; COVID-19; Dental Anxiety; Dentists; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35514076
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936535 -
BMC Oral Health Mar 2023The purpose of the study was to determine to what extent olfactory aromatherapy reduces the intensity of dental pain and the level of dental anxiety. It also attempted... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to determine to what extent olfactory aromatherapy reduces the intensity of dental pain and the level of dental anxiety. It also attempted to corelate between olfactory aromatherapy, stages of dental visits, and various dental procedures.
METHODS
Female patients were enrolled in a randomized controlled study. Olfactory aromatherapy was performed using lavender oils. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the lavender group, in which patients inhaled 2% lavender vapors, and the control group, in which patients inhaled water vapors. Pain score, anxiety score, and changes in vital signs were among the predictable variables. Anxiety and pain were assessed using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), Speilberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and visual analog scales (VAS). The vital signs were systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and oxygen saturation (Spo2). Variables were evaluated before inhalations, 20 min after inhalations, at the end of settings, and on the following day.
RESULTS
Each group had 175 participants. Pain and anxiety scores were significantly reduced, and all vital signs improved, except for DBP. The MDAS, STAI, and pain scores are reduced by 3.4, 4.2, and 2.4 times, respectively, compared to the control group. Olfactory aromatherapy had the greatest impact during the phase of waiting rooms.
CONCLUSION
When compared to the control group, olfactory aromatherapy reduces anxiety scores three to four times more. Pain perception is reduced by twice as much as in the control group. It also significantly reduces the anxiety associated with minor to moderately stressful dental procedures.
Topics: Humans; Female; Oils, Volatile; Dental Anxiety; Plant Oils; Smell; Anxiety; Pain Perception; Pain; Lavandula
PubMed: 36966288
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-02864-9 -
BMC Pediatrics Dec 2023Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was frequently experienced dental anxiety and uncooperative behaviors during dental treatment. Oral health care was...
BACKGROUND
Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was frequently experienced dental anxiety and uncooperative behaviors during dental treatment. Oral health care was necessary because of the poor oral hygiene and prevalent dental diseases in this population.
AIM
In this systematic review, we evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility for pediatric dentist to manage the dental anxiety in children with ASD.
DESIGN
PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically performed on the literature search. The date of eligible publications was from inception to January 2023. After that, the quality of eligible studies was assessed by the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). Review findings were summarized using the PRISMA Statement for reporting.
RESULTS
A total of six studies were systematically evaluated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Five studies were conducted to evaluate ASD Children's anxiety and uncooperative performance in the progressive oral examination, oral disease prophylaxis and fluoride application. The other one study evaluated the success rate of treatment in decayed permanent tooth treatment. In the included studies, four studies indicated that it was extremely necessary to reduce dental anxiety of ASD children to increase the cooperation in sensory-adapted dental environment (SADE).
CONCLUSION
It is not always effective and feasible for pediatric dentist to manage the dental anxiety in children with autism during routine oral examination. Meanwhile, it is necessary for ASD children to conduct preoperative psychological assessment, to investigate parents' expectations and cooperation, and to determine whether to start corresponding dental treatment.
Topics: Humans; Child; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Dental Anxiety; Oral Health; Delivery of Health Care; Autistic Disorder
PubMed: 38049774
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04439-7 -
Journal of Oral Science Oct 2021Injection phobia and dental anxiety can, in severe cases, lead to avoidance of necessary treatment. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate self-reported...
Injection phobia and dental anxiety can, in severe cases, lead to avoidance of necessary treatment. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate self-reported injection phobia and dental anxiety among individuals with tattoos and/or piercings. The Injection Phobia Scale-Anxiety (IPSA) short form and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaires were applied. Both the total IPSA and MDAS scores were significantly higher for individuals with tattoos in comparison with a control group (P < 0.001), suggesting a need for anxiety-reducing measures and facilitated treatment for this group of patients.
Topics: Dental Anxiety; Humans; Phobic Disorders; Pilot Projects; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tattooing
PubMed: 34433739
DOI: 10.2334/josnusd.21-0136 -
Journal of Dental Research Nov 2022Dental care-related fear and anxiety (DFA) is prevalent, affects oral health care utilization, and is related to poor oral health and decreased quality of life. In... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Dental care-related fear and anxiety (DFA) is prevalent, affects oral health care utilization, and is related to poor oral health and decreased quality of life. In addition to learned and cultural factors, genetics is hypothesized to contribute to DFA. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants contributing to DFA. Adult and adolescent participants were from 4 cohorts (3 from the US-based Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia, = 1,144, 1,164, and 535, and the UK-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children [ALSPAC], = 2,078). Two self-report instruments were used to assess DFA: the Dental Fear Survey (US cohorts) and Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (ALSPAC). Genome-wide scans were performed for the DFA total scores and subscale scores (avoidance, physiological arousal, fear of dental treatment-specific stimuli), adjusting for age, sex, educational attainment, recruitment site, and genetic ancestry. Results across cohorts were combined using meta-analysis. Heritability estimates for DFA total and subscale scores were similar across cohorts and ranged from 23% to 59%. The meta-analysis revealed 3 significant ( < 5E-8) associations between genetic loci and 2 DFA subscales: physiological arousal and avoidance. Nearby genes included ( = 3.05E-8), ( = 4.40E-8), and ( = 7.72E-9). Of these, , which was associated with the avoidance subscale, mediates neurotensin function, and its deficiency may lead to altered fear memory in mice. Gene enrichment analyses indicated that loci associated with the DFA total score and physiological arousal subscale score were enriched for genes associated with severe and persistent mental health (e.g., schizophrenia) and neurocognitive (e.g., autism) disorders. Heritability analysis indicated that DFA is partly explained by genetic factors, and our association results suggested shared genetic underpinnings with other psychological conditions.
Topics: Dental Anxiety; Genome-Wide Association Study; Longitudinal Studies; Neurotensin; Quality of Life; Humans; Adolescent; Adult
PubMed: 35771046
DOI: 10.1177/00220345221105226 -
The Journal of Clinical Pediatric... Jul 2023The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between personal traits, dental anxiety level and dental appearance of the individuals.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between personal traits, dental anxiety level and dental appearance of the individuals.
STUDY DESIGN
The study included 431 individuals who completed State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Form (STAI-T) and Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) questionnaires during their first appointment at the orthodontic clinic. The Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) index scoring was performed using intraoral frontal photographs by an orthodontist. According to the STAI-T scores, three anxiety groups were formed: mild, moderate, and severe. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for intergroup comparisons. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between STAI-T, CDAS, and ICON scores.
RESULTS
It was found that 38.28% of the participants had mild, 34.1% had severe, and 27.62% had moderate anxiety levels. CDAS score was significantly lower in the mild anxiety group ( ≤ 0.0001) compared to the groups showing moderate and severe anxiety. There was no significant difference between the moderate and severe anxiety groups. ICON score was significantly higher in the severe anxiety group ( ≤ 0.0001) than the other groups. It was also significantly higher in the moderate anxiety group ( ≤ 0.0001) than in the mild anxiety group. There was a significant positive correlation between STAI-T and both CDAS and ICON scores. There was no significant correlation between CDAS and ICON scores.
CONCLUSION
Dental appearance had a significant effect on the general anxiety of individuals. Improving the dental appearance with orthodontic treatments can have positive effects on reducing anxiety. The low level of dental anxiety in individuals with a high need for treatment will facilitate the work of the orthodontist in the procedures to be applied.
Topics: Humans; Anxiety; Dental Care; Surveys and Questionnaires; Dental Anxiety
PubMed: 37408345
DOI: 10.22514/jocpd.2023.018 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jul 2023: This study aimed to assess the dental anxiety of patients using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) questionnaire along with examining the possible relationship...
: This study aimed to assess the dental anxiety of patients using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) questionnaire along with examining the possible relationship between dental anxiety and sociodemographic factors. : The MDAS questionnaire was used to assess the anxiety level of the patients which included a total of five questions and five options to respond to each question. MDAS questionnaire was filled out by all the patients before the dental treatment. After finishing the treatment, all the patients were given a post-treatment questionnaire to assess their anxiety levels after treatment. Descriptive statistics were performed for measuring the frequency of responses. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the anxiety between the gender. The chi-square test was used to identify the distribution of pre-treatment with gender and post-treatment questionnaire with gender and treatment modalities. Linear regression was used to identify the association between clinical variables and different levels of anxiety. : A total of 115 patients including 59 males and 56 females with a mean age of 35 ± 11.34 years were included in the current study. Female patients were significantly more anxious about dental treatment compared to male patients. Linear regression showed that age and gender have a significant association with the pre-treatment anxiety level; however, types of treatment is not associated with the MDAS. Anxiety levels decreased for the majority of the patients after the treatment and types of treatment did not show any differences with the post-treatment anxiety level. : Age and gender play an important role in dental anxiety; however, types of treatment are not associated with pre-treatment and post-treatment dental anxiety.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Dental Anxiety; Dental Clinics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Anxiety Disorders; Chi-Square Distribution
PubMed: 37512095
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59071284 -
BMC Research Notes Jan 2022Information was collected to identify anxiety in dental patients visiting a dental clinic using the Dental Anxiety Scale, their level of psychological distress using the...
OBJECTIVES
Information was collected to identify anxiety in dental patients visiting a dental clinic using the Dental Anxiety Scale, their level of psychological distress using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and identifying a correlation between these groups as well as the gender and age.
DATA DESCRIPTION
This data contains a set of 1550 patients' answers to questionnaires taken before dental treatment in a dental clinic. It is divided into male and female patients as well as according to their age. The level of Dental Anxiety can be interpreted by answers chosen in the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the level of psychological distress by answers chosen in the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). This dataset should help to encourage more research in the field of dental anxiety and we hope to see more comparisons with our data in the future or in different regions of the world.
Topics: Anxiety; Dental Anxiety; Dental Clinics; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Psychological Distress; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35012629
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05897-x -
BMC Oral Health Jan 2014The purpose of this study was to compare two impression techniques from the perspective of patient preferences and treatment comfort. (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to compare two impression techniques from the perspective of patient preferences and treatment comfort.
METHODS
Twenty-four (12 male, 12 female) subjects who had no previous experience with either conventional or digital impression participated in this study. Conventional impressions of maxillary and mandibular dental arches were taken with a polyether impression material (Impregum, 3 M ESPE), and bite registrations were made with polysiloxane bite registration material (Futar D, Kettenbach). Two weeks later, digital impressions and bite scans were performed using an intra-oral scanner (CEREC Omnicam, Sirona). Immediately after the impressions were made, the subjects' attitudes, preferences and perceptions towards impression techniques were evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. The perceived source of stress was evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Scale. Processing steps of the impression techniques (tray selection, working time etc.) were recorded in seconds. Statistical analyses were performed with the Wilcoxon Rank test, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS
There were significant differences among the groups (p < 0.05) in terms of total working time and processing steps. Patients stated that digital impressions were more comfortable than conventional techniques.
CONCLUSIONS
Digital impressions resulted in a more time-efficient technique than conventional impressions. Patients preferred the digital impression technique rather than conventional techniques.
Topics: Attitude to Health; Computer-Aided Design; Dental Anxiety; Dental Impression Materials; Dental Impression Technique; Efficiency; Female; Humans; Jaw Relation Record; Male; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Patient Preference; Patient Satisfaction; Resins, Synthetic; Siloxanes; Time Factors; Young Adult
PubMed: 24479892
DOI: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-10 -
The Journal of Clinical Pediatric... 2019To measure the dental anxiety levels of post-graduate pediatric dental students (PGS) and their instructors, and their ranking of the most anxiety provoking situations...
To measure the dental anxiety levels of post-graduate pediatric dental students (PGS) and their instructors, and their ranking of the most anxiety provoking situations in the dental situation; to investigate gender differences with regard to dental anxiety. Twenty-four PGS and 31 of their instructors completed a three-section questionnaire on sociodemographic information, dental anxiety scale (DAS) and dental fear survey (DFS). The overall mean DAS and DFS scores were similar for both groups. The scores of the PGS were significantly higher on the DFS for perspiration when dental work was done (p = 0.032), the smell of the dentist's office (p = 0.009), and seeing the dentist enter the treatment room (p = 0.005). The total DAS score was significantly higher among females than among males (8.03 ± 3.08 and 6.63 ± 1.77, p = 0.037), and for item on waiting for the dentist to scrape the teeth, (p = 0.05). The DAS and DFS scores were strongly correlated (r = 0.768, p = 0.000). The highest DAS score was for the item on anticipation of dental treatment before arrival to the clinic and waiting for the drilling. The response pattern for both groups was similar. Overall dental anxiety of PGS and their instructors was similar. Female PGS and instructors had higher dental anxiety levels than males.
Topics: Dental Anxiety; Dental Care; Faculty, Dental; Female; Humans; Male; Sex Factors; Students, Dental; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 30964720
DOI: 10.17796/1053-4625-43.3.3