IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

Dr. Harpreet Singh; Dr. Pooja Kapoor

Volume : VIII, Issue : VIII, August - 2019

Prevalence of Dental fear and anxiety amongst patients reporting to dental office for treatment: A five year analysis

Dr. Harpreet Singh, Dr. Pooja Kapoor

Abstract :

Introduction: From time immemorial, fear and anxiety have been associated with dental treatment. Coping with this fear and anxiety has been one of the most vexing problems with which the individual dentist, as well as the profession has had to contend. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of dental anxiety and fear among patients reporting to the dental clinic. Method: Research was based on interviews with 2,480 patients, aged 14 years–old and over, reporting to dental office for various treatment modalities over a period of five years. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used for analysing the anxiety levels of these patients. The scores were observed and analysed for assessing the anxiety levels. Results : The analysis revealed that 15.80% scored 19 and above in the MDAS scale, thus placing them in the category of anxious patients. Also, females were reported to be more in number in this category. Conclusion: With the higher number of anxious patients reporting to the dental office, it is recommended that the dentists should inculcate some definite measures in their clinical practice to manage such patients in order to provide them the best of oral health care.