title: Assessing the need for anesthesia and sedation services in Kuwaiti dental practice.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the public health relevance of the prevalence of dental fear in Kuwait and the resultant barrier that it creates regarding access to dental care. The study analysis demonstrated a high prevalence of dental fear and anxiety in the Kuwaiti population and a perceived need for anesthesia services by dental care providers. The telephone survey of the general population showed nearly 35% of respondents reported being somewhat nervous, very nervous, or terrified about going to the dentist. In addition, about 36% of the population postponed their dental treatment because of fear. Respondents showed a preference to receive sedation and anesthesia services as a means of anxiety relief, and they were willing to go to the dentist more often when such services were available. People with high fear and anxiety preferred to receive some type of medication to relieve their anxiety. In conclusion, the significance and importance of the need for anesthesia services to enhance the public health of dental patients in Kuwait has been demonstrated, and improvements are needed in anesthesia and sedation training of Kuwaiti dental care providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdulwahab
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al-Sayegh
authors.forename: Sean G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Boynes
authors.forename: Hawra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdulwahab
authors.forename: Jayme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zovko
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Close
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires