Adrian Ujin Yap1,2,3, Darren Zong Ru Lee4. 1. Department of Dentistry, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Faculty of Dentistry, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. 2. National Dental Research Institute Singapore, National Dental Centre Singapore and Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Health Services, Singapore, Singapore. 3. School of Health & Social Sciences, Nanyang Polytechnic, 180 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, Singapore, 569830, Singapore. 4. School of Health & Social Sciences, Nanyang Polytechnic, 180 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, Singapore, 569830, Singapore. darren_lee@nyp.edu.sg.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study estimated the prevalence of dental fear/anxiety (DFA) and phobia in Asian youths and investigated the fear/anxiety response components and triggers for those with DFA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of youths, aged 17 to 24 years old, was recruited from a local polytechnic. The Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear-4C + (IDAF-4C +) was employed to assess the occurrence of DFA (IDAF-4C) and phobia (IDAF-P) as well as to ascertain fear/anxiety-inducing stimuli (IDAF-S). Psychological distress was determined with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Sociodemographic, IDAF-4C + , dental attendance patterns, and PHQ-4 data were gathered electronically. Statistical analyses were conducted with chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and relevant post hoc tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 215 participants were enrolled (mean age of 18.9 ± 2.0 years; 87.4% women). Of these, 12.6/6.0% had moderate-to-high (MH)/high-to-extreme (HE) DFA and 0.9% experienced dental phobia. Significant differences in scores were observed between the HE/MH and no-to-moderate (NM) groups for all IDAF-4C components. Apart from the cost of dental treatment, IDAF-4S scores varied significantly among the three DFA groups. The two most highly rated DFA stimuli were painful/uncomfortable procedures and needles/injections for the HE group, while they were needles/injections and the cost of dental treatment for the MH and NM groups. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-to-extreme DFA existed in 18.6% of the Asian youths examined. The emotional and physiological components of the IDAF-4C appear to contribute more to the DFA response. Dental pain including needles/injections and the cost of dental treatment troubled Asian youths the most. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: DFA is a common problem among Asian youths, and understanding its extent, nature, and triggers is central for effective interventions.
OBJECTIVES: This study estimated the prevalence of dental fear/anxiety (DFA) and phobia in Asian youths and investigated the fear/anxiety response components and triggers for those with DFA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of youths, aged 17 to 24 years old, was recruited from a local polytechnic. The Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear-4C + (IDAF-4C +) was employed to assess the occurrence of DFA (IDAF-4C) and phobia (IDAF-P) as well as to ascertain fear/anxiety-inducing stimuli (IDAF-S). Psychological distress was determined with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Sociodemographic, IDAF-4C + , dental attendance patterns, and PHQ-4 data were gathered electronically. Statistical analyses were conducted with chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and relevant post hoc tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 215 participants were enrolled (mean age of 18.9 ± 2.0 years; 87.4% women). Of these, 12.6/6.0% had moderate-to-high (MH)/high-to-extreme (HE) DFA and 0.9% experienced dental phobia. Significant differences in scores were observed between the HE/MH and no-to-moderate (NM) groups for all IDAF-4C components. Apart from the cost of dental treatment, IDAF-4S scores varied significantly among the three DFA groups. The two most highly rated DFA stimuli were painful/uncomfortable procedures and needles/injections for the HE group, while they were needles/injections and the cost of dental treatment for the MH and NM groups. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-to-extreme DFA existed in 18.6% of the Asian youths examined. The emotional and physiological components of the IDAF-4C appear to contribute more to the DFA response. Dental pain including needles/injections and the cost of dental treatment troubled Asian youths the most. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: DFA is a common problem among Asian youths, and understanding its extent, nature, and triggers is central for effective interventions.
Authors: S Cianetti; G Lombardo; E Lupatelli; S Pagano; I Abraha; A Montedori; S Caruso; R Gatto; S De Giorgio; R Salvato Journal: Eur J Paediatr Dent Date: 2017-06 Impact factor: 2.231