Does completing a dental anxiety questionnaire increase anxiety? A randomised controlled trial with adults in general dental practice.
The assessment of dental anxiety can be achieved by using brief multi-item scales.


OBJECTIVE
To test the null hypothesis that completing the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale had no immediate influence on patient state anxiety.


METHODS
Speilberger State Anxiety Inventory-6 item Short Form.


METHODS
Randomised controlled trial.


METHODS
Patients (n = 1,028) attending 18 dental practices in Northern Ireland were invited to participate.


RESULTS
Twenty-four patients refused (response rate 98%) providing 1,004 patients (mean age = 41 years, range = 16 to 90 years; 65% female) for analysis. Patients who completed the dental anxiety scale were found to have a virtually identical state anxiety score: mean (SD) = 11.36 (4.33) compared to those who completed the state anxiety assessment only: mean (SD) = 11.01 (4.35). The mean (CI95%) difference was 0.35 (0.89 to -0.18), t = 1.29, df1002, p = 0.2.


CONCLUSIONS
The completion of a brief dental anxiety questionnaire before seeing the dentist has a non significant effect on state anxiety.
Humphris
G M
GM
Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS.
Clarke
H M M
HM
Freeman
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008347:Manifest Anxiety Scale; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires