IADR Abstract Archives
Oral Health and Dental Anxiety in a German Practice-based Sample
Objectives: To answer the question, if dental anxiety has an effect on dental and periodontal health.
Methods: Survey data were collected from n=201 adults (53% females, average age 49 years). Dental anxiety was measured with the modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS, score 0-4, the greater the score, the greater the anxiety). Clinical parameters like probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (SLI), bleeding on probing (BoP) as well the DMFT index were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to determine the relationship between the MDAS and clinical parameters, while Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify the relationship between MDAS and age. Independent sample t-tests were performed to analyze the MDAS in subgroups.
Results: Dental anxiety was higher in women than in men (48% vs 35%). Subjects with high MDAS value visited less frequent a dentist (p=0.02) and have more decayed teeth (DT=3.68) than subjects without dental anxiety (DT=1.15; p=0.001). There was no differences in PPD or CAL between subjects without or with dental anxiety, while patients with high MDAS value showed significantly more BoP (39.10 % vs 23.61 %; p=0.001) than patients with low MDAS scores (no or low dental anxiety). The older the patient the lower the dental anxiety score.
Conclusions: Patients with dental anxiety have significantly more caries experience and gingivitis. Therefore, dental anxiety has a negative effect on dental and periodontal health. This may underline the importance of identifying and then reducing dental anxiety as important steps in improving oral health in adults.
Methods: Survey data were collected from n=201 adults (53% females, average age 49 years). Dental anxiety was measured with the modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS, score 0-4, the greater the score, the greater the anxiety). Clinical parameters like probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (SLI), bleeding on probing (BoP) as well the DMFT index were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to determine the relationship between the MDAS and clinical parameters, while Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify the relationship between MDAS and age. Independent sample t-tests were performed to analyze the MDAS in subgroups.
Results: Dental anxiety was higher in women than in men (48% vs 35%). Subjects with high MDAS value visited less frequent a dentist (p=0.02) and have more decayed teeth (DT=3.68) than subjects without dental anxiety (DT=1.15; p=0.001). There was no differences in PPD or CAL between subjects without or with dental anxiety, while patients with high MDAS value showed significantly more BoP (39.10 % vs 23.61 %; p=0.001) than patients with low MDAS scores (no or low dental anxiety). The older the patient the lower the dental anxiety score.
Conclusions: Patients with dental anxiety have significantly more caries experience and gingivitis. Therefore, dental anxiety has a negative effect on dental and periodontal health. This may underline the importance of identifying and then reducing dental anxiety as important steps in improving oral health in adults.