Dental fears, health status, and quality of life.

A total of 137 patients in a Hamburg dental fears clinic, a majority of them persons with dental phobia, were administered questionnaires regarding dental fears and health-related quality of life. Subjects also underwent a dental examination. Dental fears were shown to be associated with dental health problems. Women were more fearful than men, and younger persons were more fearful than older ones. Patients of lower social economic status had somewhat more dental health problems compared with more economically privileged persons. This study also shows, with the use of the SF-36, that dental fears are negatively related to quality of life, especially as measured in areas such as psychological well-being, vitality, and social functioning.