Gender differences in dental anxiety: is the chair position important?

Dental anxiety in the general population is more prevalent in females than in males. The presence of dental anxiety was studied in a group of 189 females and 176 males using the following scales: the Dental Anxiety Scale (divided into DAS 1 containing 6 items, which explores a patient's dental anxiety and DAS 2 containing 13 items, which looks at dental anxiety concerning dentist-patient relations), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Quality of Life Index (QL-Index). The results obtained showed significant differences only in relation to dental anxiety regarding the use of instruments (such as needles and handpieces) and the tilted-back position of the chair (DAS 1). No significant gender differences emerged between the two groups in relation to dental anxiety regarding dentist-patient relations (DAS 2), depression (SDS), and the quality of life (QL-Index). The results may explain why women avoid dental care and indicate new designs to make the chair position more comfortable would be useful.