Dental Anxiety Among Nursing Students in a University Teaching Hospital

Objectives: This study evaluated the role of dental anxiety, dental fear, oral health and regularity of dental appointment on the general psychological distress among the nurses in training in Nigeria. Method: One hundred and six [106] nurses in training attending the School of Nursing and the School of Midwifery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City participated in the study. Test for independent sample focusing on dental anxiety, oral health, and regularity of dental appointment as independent variables were used. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient also focusing on dental anxiety, dental fear, oral health, general health and regularity of dental appointment were also used. Result: There was a significant difference between nurses in training who reported higher dental anxiety and those who reported low dental anxiety when examined on psychological distress [t(103) = -3.65 P< .05 ] with higher dental anxiety students having more psychological distress than students with low dental anxiety. There was also a significant relationship between oral health and general health r=.26, df = 102, P<0.01. Conclusion: The variables such as dental anxiety and oral health are factors capable of affecting the student nurses' general psychological well being. There was also an association between dental anxiety and dental fear as well as oral health and general health.