title: Association of dental anxiety to personality traits in a general population sample of Finnish University students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the association between personality and dental anxiety among Finnish University students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 880 university students in Finland returned the questionnaires addressing dental anxiety by using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire. In addition, the personality of traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience) were noted. Personality traits of students were compared with the level (high, mild or none) of dental anxiety derived from the MDAS questionnaire. The relative odds of dental anxiety associated with the level of dental anxiety were estimated by logistic regression, Chi-Square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age of the respondents was 22 years. Of the respondents, 99 (11.3%) were classified as dentally anxious patients (90, 12.2% of females; 9, 6.6% of males)). Neuroticism was the only personality trait that was significantly associated with dental fear (p < 0.001). A tendency, although not significant, was seen between high dental fear and lower extraversion and agreeableness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the five different personality traits, neuroticism was a significant risk factor for developing dental anxiety, and this should be recognized in clinical practice.
authors: Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors: Harri
authors: H
authors: Halonen
authors: Tuula
authors: T
authors: Salo
authors: Helinä
authors: H
authors: Hakko
authors: Pirkko
authors: P
authors: Räsänen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008347:Manifest Anxiety Scale; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D010551:Personality; D010556:Personality Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult