Determining Cut-Off Points for the Dental Fear Survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine a high fear cut-off point score for the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) using a single-item self-report questionnaire.


METHODS
The DFS, a 20-item questionnaire assessing fear of dental treatment, was completed by 1,256 participants with a mean age of 22.3 years (SD = 5.1). Another self-report questionnaire was used to collect data on previous dental experiences. A high fear cut-off point score was determined by calculating the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the DFS. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were calculated; a significance level of p < 0.05 was used for all tests.


RESULTS
The ROC curve indicated that a DFS score ≥ 53 corresponds to a sensitivity of 88.9% and a specificity of 92.5%. Most participants (n = 895; 71.5%) reported no fear of going to the dentist. There was significant association between DFS score and fear assessed with the question "Are you fearful of going to the dentist?" (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A cut-off point of 53 on the DFS total score represents the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity and can be used to predict high dental fear.
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Maurício Antônio
MA
Oliveira
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Cristiane Baccin
CB
Bendo
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Saul Martins
SM
Paiva
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Miriam Pimenta
MP
Vale
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Júnia Maria
JM
Serra-Negra
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult