Clinical correlates of dental anxiety among older adults.

Most studies of the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health status have used subjective rather than clinical indicators of oral health. In this paper we examine differences between older adults who are and are not dentally anxious using a broad range of clinical measures. The data show that dentally anxious individuals were more likely to be edentulous, and among the dentate, had more missing and fewer filled teeth. As a result, dentally anxious dentate subjects were more likely to need prosthodontic treatment. They were also more likely to need immediate treatment for the relief of pain and infection and periodontal care. There was evidence to suggest differences in patterns of dental treatment between those who were and were not dentally anxious and some evidence consistent with the hypothesis that aging influences the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health status.