Endogenous Components of Dental Fear among Adults in Finland

Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate the association between dental fear, major depression and anxiety disorders (not including phobic anxiety) among Finnish men and women. Materials and methods: The two-stage stratified cluster sample (n=6082) represented Finnish adults aged 30+ years. Dental fear was measured with question: “How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?” (dichotomized very vs. somewhat or not at all afraid). Structured standardized psychiatric interview technique, the Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (MCIDI), was used for assessment of major depression and four anxiety disorders. Statistical significances of the differences between the groups of dental fear were assessed with chi-squared tests. Results: Among all participants those with high dental fear reported more commonly major depression, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder than those with low or no fear. Among women dental fear was associated with major depression, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder, which those with high dental fear reported more commonly than those with lower level of fear. Among men those with high dental fear reported more commonly generalized anxiety disorder than those with lower level of fear. (Table)

Conclusion: Those with high dental fear reported depression and anxiety disorders more commonly than those with no or low dental fear. The results from this nationally representative sample support the suggestions that dental fear may have endogenous components. The Finnish Dental Society Apollonia supported this study.