Prevalence of dental fear in young adult Singaporeans.

One-hundred-and-fifteen male military recruits and 176 mostly female first- and second-year students in the National University of Singapore were surveyed regarding their fear of the dentist. Nine of 115 recruits and 36 of 176 university students were classified as having high fear, giving a population prevalence rate between 78 and 208 fearful young adults per 1000 population. Higher educational levels were associated with fear of the dentist. There were no significant racial differences in the prevalence rate in either sample. Higher fear scores were associated with longer intervals between dental visits for the university but not the military population. Efforts are needed to prevent and ameliorate the development of dental fears. Trust and control appear to be major factors associated with dental fears.