The prevalence of dental anxiety across previous distressing experiences.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of high dental anxiety across a variety of past distressing experiences with a previously reported Dutch sample.


METHODS
University students from the UK (N=1024) completed an online survey containing; the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and the Level of Exposure-Dental Experiences Questionnaire (LOE-DEQ). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated to assess the association of self-reported distressing experiences and dental anxiety.


RESULTS
The percentage of respondents with high dental anxiety (HDA) (total MDAS score≥19) was 11.2%. Significant prevalence of HDA across several distressing experiences was shown in both UK and Dutch samples notably: extreme helplessness during dental treatment, lack of understanding of the dentist and extreme embarrassment during dental treatment. There were little or no effects of non-dental trauma, with the exception of sexual abuse in the UK sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Trauma from various past experiences may be implicated in an increased risk of high dental anxiety.
Humphris
G
G
Health Psychology, Medical School, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TR, United Kingdom. gmh4@st-and.ac.uk
King
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003729:Dental Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires