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Oral health and dental anxiety in a German practice-based sample. Clin Oral Investig 2017 Jun;21(5):1675-1680

Date

09/07/2016

Pubmed ID

27596605

DOI

10.1007/s00784-016-1951-8

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85019688104 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   27 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Does dental anxiety have an effect on dental and periodontal health?

METHODS: Survey data was collected from n = 200 adults (53 % females, average age 49 years) in a cross-sectional study. Dental anxiety was measured with the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS, score 1-5, the greater the score, the greater the anxiety). Clinical parameters including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (SLI), and bleeding on probing (BoP) as well as the DMFT index were recorded and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: Rating of dental anxiety was higher in women than in men (65 vs 35 %). Subjects with higher MDAS values visited the dentist less frequently (p = 0.001) and had more decay (DT 6.7 ± 4.2 vs 1.7 ± 2.4; p < 0.001) but fewer filled teeth than subjects with lower ratings of dental anxiety (FT 7.1 ± 4.5 vs 9.8 ± 5.7; p = 0.042). There were no differences in PD or CAL between subjects with or without dental anxiety, while patients with higher MDAS value showed significantly more BoP (50 ± 19 vs 34 ± 20 %; p = 0.002) than patients with low MDAS scores (no or low dental anxiety).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with higher ratings of dental anxiety had significantly more caries experience and gingivitis. Therefore, dental anxiety is associated with negative effect on dental and periodontal health.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Identifying patients with high dental anxiety and helping to manage this anxiety has important implications to improve oral health in adults. The MDAS appears to be an easy and efficient tool that can be used to identify patients with dental anxiety in dental practices.

Author List

Guentsch A, Stier C, Raschke GF, Peisker A, Fahmy MD, Kuepper H, Schueler I

Author

Arndt Geuntsch in the CTSI department at Medical College of Wisconsin - CTSI




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Cross-Sectional Studies
Dental Anxiety
Dental Plaque Index
Female
Germany
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Oral Health
Periodontal Index
Sex Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires