OBJECTIVES: To assess self-reported dental anxiety (DA) among Kuwaiti adolescents and to test whether different dental anxiety scales are valid for measuring DA in Kuwait. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional, structured, anonymous questionnaire survey in Arabic completed at government schools. PARTICIPANTS: 757 pupils aged 13-15 years from three schools filled the questionnaire. Useable response rate was 93.0%. MAIN MEASURES: DA was assessed by: 1, a single-item dental fear question (DF); 2, the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS); and 3, the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale: faces (MCDAS(f)). RESULTS: A third of the girls and 6% of boys reported being very much afraid of visiting a dentist. Use of the drill and injection in the gum were the most anxiety arousing MDAS items; tooth extraction and injection of the MCDAS(f) items. Total mean for MDAS was 11.4 (sd 4.6) and for MCDAS(f) 16.6 (sd 6.5). A tenth of the children were highly dentally anxious when measured by MDAS (score ≥ 19). Girls reported statistically significantly higher DA scores with all the measures. There was a high correlation between the total score of the MDAS and the total score of the MCDAS(f) (p = 0.855). Statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) was found between the single-item DF and the total score of the MDAS and a single item and the total score of the MCDAS(f). CONCLUSIONs: A tenth of children were highly dentally anxious; girls reporting higher scores. A single-item dental fear question, MDAS and MCDAS(f) were valid tools for measuring DA among Kuwaiti adolescents.
OBJECTIVES: To assess self-reported dental anxiety (DA) among Kuwaiti adolescents and to test whether different dental anxiety scales are valid for measuring DA in Kuwait. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional, structured, anonymous questionnaire survey in Arabic completed at government schools. PARTICIPANTS: 757 pupils aged 13-15 years from three schools filled the questionnaire. Useable response rate was 93.0%. MAIN MEASURES: DA was assessed by: 1, a single-item dental fear question (DF); 2, the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS); and 3, the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale: faces (MCDAS(f)). RESULTS: A third of the girls and 6% of boys reported being very much afraid of visiting a dentist. Use of the drill and injection in the gum were the most anxiety arousing MDAS items; tooth extraction and injection of the MCDAS(f) items. Total mean for MDAS was 11.4 (sd 4.6) and for MCDAS(f) 16.6 (sd 6.5). A tenth of the children were highly dentally anxious when measured by MDAS (score ≥ 19). Girls reported statistically significantly higher DA scores with all the measures. There was a high correlation between the total score of the MDAS and the total score of the MCDAS(f) (p = 0.855). Statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) was found between the single-item DF and the total score of the MDAS and a single item and the total score of the MCDAS(f). CONCLUSIONs: A tenth of children were highly dentally anxious; girls reporting higher scores. A single-item dental fear question, MDAS and MCDAS(f) were valid tools for measuring DA among Kuwaiti adolescents.