IADR Abstract Archives
Do Malaysian Adults Fear Dental Visits?
Objective: One of the objectives of NOHSA 2010 was to assess the perception of dental visits of adults with respect to dental fear. Methods: A two-staged stratified random sampling targeted 14,444 adults aged 15 years and above in households. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained interviewers and data analyzed with SPSS v.17. Sampling weights at state and strata (urban/rural) were based on 2010 census data. A validated single dental anxiety question was used. Results: One third of Malaysian adults [32.9% (95% CI: 31.7 – 34.1)] had dental fear, with 26.6 % (95% CI: 25.5 - 27.7) claiming dental visits was scary to some extent and 6.3% (95% CI: 5.7 - 6.9) thought of it as very scary. Dental fear was more prevalent among urban [35.8% (95% CI: 34.2 – 37.6)] than rural adults [28.8% (95% CI: 27.1 – 30.6)] and females [40.2% (95% CI: 38.6 – 41.9)] than males [23.7% (95% CI: 22.2 – 25.1)]. Among the ethnic groups, it was most prevalent among the Chinese [41.2% (95% CI: 38.2 – 44.2)] and least prevalent among the Kadazans [19.6% (95% CI: 14.8 – 25.5)]. Dental fear was the fifth most common reason for not seeking care within the last two years, as claimed by 4.3% (95% CI: 3.7 - 5.0) of adults. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of Malaysian adults had dental fear. A gentle and careful approach in patient handling with effective communication in explanation of treatment procedures is recommended to reduce or allay fear in the dental environment.