Effect of Dental Education on Dental Phobia; A Cross-Sectional Study among the Dental Students of Riyadh, KSA

Introduction: Dental anxiety among dental students is an important issue that needs to be examined more thoroughly by the research community. Dental anxiety among dental students could have implications for their future practice, as it may adversely affect their ability to render quality dental care. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted among the dental students in Riyadh using an online survey. Dental universities in Riyadh were contacted and participants were requested to fill up the survey. 500 students from all six years of dentistry were utilized in this study. Results: overall 21.6% of clinical students reported that dental education did not reduce their dental phobia at all, whereas 40.4% reported definitely yes. Among various dental procedures that may cause anxiety among patients, root canal treatment (RCT) was accounted for the greatest number of responses (28.6%) in ‘high anxiety’. Conclusion: There is a need to intervene and use certain measures to reduce the dental phobia or anxiety among pre-clinical dental students and not wait until they reach clinical levels.

The Methods and Use of Questionnaires for the Diagnosis of Dental Phobia by Japanese Dental Practitioners Specializing in Special Needs Dentistry and Dental Anesthesiology: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Dental phobia is covered by medical insurance; however, the diagnostic methods are not standardized in Japan. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the methods and use of questionnaires for the diagnosis of dental phobia by Japanese dental practitioners specializing in special needs dentistry and dental anesthesiology. Methods We conducted an online survey to obtain information from the members of the Japanese Society for Disability and Oral Health (JSDH, n = 5134) and the Japanese Dental Society of Anesthesiology (JDSA, n = 2759). Response items included gender, qualification, affiliation type, methods of diagnosis and management of dental phobia, use of questionnaire, need for new evaluation methods for the diagnosis of dental phobia, and others. The chi-squared test was used to compare answers between the three groups (JSDH only, JDSA only, and both). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with the use of an assessment questionnaire. Results Data were obtained from 614 practitioners (only JSDH: n = 329, only JDSA: n = 195, both JSDH and JDSA: n = 90, response rate: 7.8% [614/7,893], men: n = 364 [58.5%]). Only 9.7% practitioners used questionnaires to quantify the level of dental anxiety. The members of both JSDH and JDSA used questionnaires more frequently than members only of the JSDH (19% and 7.1%, respectively; Bonferroni corrected p < 0.01). Most practitioners (89.1%) diagnosed dental phobia based on patient complaints of fear of treatment. Further, majority of the participants (73.3%) felt the need for a new diagnostic method for “dental phobia”. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that membership of the JSDH only was negatively related (odds ratio [OR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 0.15—0.68), and use of behavioral therapy was positively related (OR = 2.51, 95% CI : 1.27—5.20) to the use of a questionnaire. Conclusions The results of this study showed that the use of questionnaires was very low, patients’ subjective opinions were commonly used to diagnose dental phobia, and a new diagnostic criterion was needed among practitioners. Therefore, it is important to establish standardized methods for diagnosing dental phobia in Japan.

Assessment of dental anxiety and dental phobia among adults in Lebanon

Background Dental anxiety continues to be a widespread problem affecting adult populations. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Lebanese Arabic version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS-A) and to identify the optimal cut-off for assessing dental anxiety and dental phobia among adults in Lebanon. In addition, we sought to assess dental anxiety and phobia as well as their correlates among Lebanese adult patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 451 dental adult patients aged between 18 and 65 years old. Information about demographic characteristics, previous bad dental experience, trauma’s experience period, perception of a periodontal problem, sensation of nausea during dental treatment, the MDAS-A scale, and the Visual Analogue Scale for anxiety (VAS-A) were collected. Results MDAS-A exhibited evidence of adequate psychometric properties. The optimal cut-off was 12 for dental anxiety and 14 for dental phobia. Out of the total sample, 31.5% suffered from dental anxiety while 22.4% had a dental phobia. Multivariable analysis showed that the odds of dental anxiety and phobia were higher among females compared to males. Also, patients suffering from periodontal problem perceptions, bad dental experiences during childhood and adolescence, and the sensation of nausea during dental treatment were at a higher risk of developing dental anxiety and phobia compared to their counterparts. However, a higher level of education was found to be a protective factor against dental phobia among Lebanese adult patients. Conclusion The MDAS-A scale is a suitable tool for the routine assessment of dental anxiety and phobia among Lebanese adult patients. Identifying patients with dental anxiety at the earliest opportunity is of utmost importance for delivering successful dental care.

Dental Treatment Phobia and Its Relationship with Temperament Among Children

The aim of this study was to identify the percentage of dental phobia among children, and its relartionship with temperament of children. The analytical descriptive methodology was used with two instruments: Dental phobia questionnaire and child temperament scale. The sample included (393) outpatient children in dental clinics of Aleppo University in the academic year of 2017-2018. The children aged between 6-13 years. The findings indicated that the mean of dental phobia was 31.5 while high level of dental phobia was 49.11. The dental phobia was significantly higher among females than among males. On the other hand, there were significantly positive correlation between dental phobia and the following factors: Activity, resistance, mood quality, distractibility, and negative correlation between dental phobia and the following factors: regular-ity, first reaction (approach), and adaptability.