Dental anxiety and trait anxiety: an investigation of their relationship.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety related to dental treatment is a fairly common phenomenon. Some studies have shown that there is an association between dental anxiety and general fears and anxiety, neuroticism and general psychological distress.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to examine the relationship between dental anxiety and trait anxiety.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 1,030 individuals (688 women; 342 men), aged 30.8 +/- 11.7 years. The Portuguese version of Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) were used.


RESULTS
A statistically significant association between high DAS and high STAI-T, but not between high STAI-T and high DAS, was found. The data indicated that subjects with high dental anxiety tend to present with high trait anxiety, but high trait anxiety seems not to predispose to high dental anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that dental anxiety is specific, with its own features, and its development is not necessarily associated with trait anxiety.
Fuentes
D
D
Psychology & Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital, Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil/LINEU - Integrated Laboratories of Neuropsychology, Brazil.
Gorenstein
C
C
Hu
L W
LW