title: Differential diagnosis of odontophobic patients using the DSM-IV.
abstract: Categories of extreme anxiety for dental treatment were derived using DSM-IV psychiatric criteria. A sample of 40 men and 40 women patients with extreme dental anxiety were initially evaluated with Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) and Geer Fear Scale (GFS). Patients all had DAS scores > or = 15 indicating extreme dental anxiety and were further evaluated with clinical interviews, Dental Fear Survey (DFS), Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS) and Mood Adjective Checklist (MACL). Results showed that 46% of 80 patients complained mainly of powerlessness and embarrassment about dental treatment while also having greater DBS scores than other categories, i.e. social phobia. Another 19% reported conditioned specific phobias (pain, drilling, injection, etc.) most often and lower DBS and GFS scores than other groups; while 35% had broader general anxiety complications, such as multiple phobias and agoraphobia with or without general anxiety symptoms (higher GFS and STAI-T compared to others). Symptoms of general anxiety disorder (GAD) were present in 30 of 80 patients, who had greater STAI-T and GFS and lower MACL scores than non-GAD patients. These results have implications for appropriate treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Royal Dental College, Department of Oral Epidemiology and Public Health, Arhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brødsgaard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008347:Manifest Anxiety Scale; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales