THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER, FAMILY DENTAL HISTORY, AND PREVIOUS DENTAL TREATMENT EXPERIENCE ON DENTAL ANXIETY LEVELS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF KPK, PAKISTAN: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33279/jkcd.v15i03.767Keywords:
Dental anxiety, Modifi ed Dental Anxiety Scale, adult patients, prevalenceAbstract
Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of dental anxiety among adults attending dental clinics.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 214 adult patients attending dental outpatient clinics. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, including the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Sociodemographic characteristics, previous dental experiences, and specific anxiety triggers were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Chi-square test was applied, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Of the 214 participants, 62.6% were females and 37.4% were males, with a mean age of 28.6 ± 7.4 years. The overall prevalence of dental anxiety was 59.3%, of which 18.2% reported severe anxiety. Dental injections (41.6%) and tooth extraction (32.7%) were the most anxiety-inducing procedures. Females reported significantly higher anxiety levels compared to males (p = 0.016). Previous negative dental experiences were strongly associated with higher MDAS scores (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Dental anxiety was highly prevalent in this population, particularly among females and patients with prior negative experiences. Dentists should incorporate effective communication and anxiety management strategies to improve patient compliance and oral health outcomes.
References
Al Jasser R, Almashaan G, Alwaalan H, Alkhzim N, Albougami A. Dental anxiety among dental, medical, and nursing students of two major universities in the central region of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health. 2019;19(1):56.
doi:10.1186/s12903019-0757-x
Dantas LP, Oliveira-Ribeiro A, Almeida-Souza LM, Groppo FC. Effects of Passiflora incarnata and midazolam for control of anxiety in patients undergoing dental extraction. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2017;22(1):e95–e101. doi:10.4317/medoral.21140
Shindova MP, Belcheva AB. Dental fear and anxiety in children: a review of the environmental factors. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2021;63:177-82. doi:10.3897/ folmed.63.e54763
Hatipoglu Z, Gulec E, Lafl i D, Ozcengiz D. Anxiety related to dental injections and oral surgery procedures among dental outpatients. Niger J Clin Pract. 2018;21:1129–36. doi:10.4103/njcp.njcp_227_17
El Hajj HK, Fares Y, Abou-Abbas L. Assessment of dental anxiety and dental phobia among adults in Lebanon. BMC Oral Health. 2021;21:48. doi:10.1186/ s12903-021-01409-2
Silveira ER, Cademartori MG, Schuch HS, Armfield JA, Demarco FF. Estimated prevalence of dental fear in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent. 2021;108:103632. doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2021.103632
Hoffmann B, Erwood K, Ncomanzi S, Fischer V, O’Brien D, Lee A. Management strategies for adult patients with dental anxiety in the dental clinic: a systematic review. Aust Dent J. 2022;67(Suppl 1):S3–S13. doi:10.1111/adj.12926
Jöhren P, Vetter K, Schlarb AA. Hypnosis in the treatment of dental anxiety: a systematic review. Eur J Oral Sci. 2017;125:449–56. doi:10.1111/eos.12393
Muneer MU, Ismail F, Munir N, Shakoor A, Das G, Ahmed AR, et al. Dental anxiety and influencing factors in adults. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10:2352. doi:10.3390/healthcare10122352
Alansaari ABO, Tawfi k A, Jaber MA, Khamis AH, Elameen EM. Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of dental anxiety among adult patients in UAE. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(12):6118. doi:10.3390/ijerph20126118
Alghareeb Z., Alhaji K., Alhaddad B., Gaff ar B. Assessment of Dental Anxiety and Hemodynamic Changes during Different Dental Procedures: A Report from Eastern Saudi Arabia. Eur. J. Dent. 2022;16:833–840. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1740222.
Strøm K., Skaare A.B., Willumsen T. Dental anxiety in 18-year-old Norwegians in 1996 and 2016. Acta Odontol. Scand. 2020;78:13–19. doi:
1080/00016357.2019.1637933.
Al-Nasser L., Yunus F., Ahmed A.E. Dental Anxiety and Its Behavioral Consequences in a Sample of Saudi Adults. OHDM. 2016;15:183–188.
Dadalti M.T., Cunha A.J., Souza T.G., Silva B.A., Luiz R.R., Risso P.A. Anxiety about dental treatment—A gender issue. Acta Odontol. Latinoam. 2021;34:195–200. doi: 10.54589/aol.34/2/195.
Appukuttan D., Vinayagavel M., Tadepalli A., Subramanian S. Use of acupuncture as an adjunct to conventional care to reduce anxiety and improve the quality of life in dental patients: A systematic review. Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. Oral Radiol. 2016;122:176–179.
Goh E.Z., Beech N., Johnson N.R. Dental anxiety in adult patients treated by dental students: A systematic review. J. Dent. Educ. 2020;84:805–811. doi: 10.1002/ jdd.12173
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Usman Sultan , Syed Muhammad Awais, Faisal Alam, Sana Ahmad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes .
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
