A Cross-Sectional Study on Cognitive Vulnerability Patterns in Dental Anxiety: The Italian Validation of the Dental Fear Maintenance Questionnaire (DFMQ)

Abstract

Dental anxiety is a crucial problem for dentistry because it may represent a significant risk to oral health. Within the framework of the Cognitive Vulnerability Model (CVM), which sheds light on the cognitive vulnerability patterns that may cause dental anxiety, this study aimed to assess the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the Dental Fear Maintenance Questionnaire (DFMQ). The DFMQ is a 32-item questionnaire that assesses four cognitive vulnerability patterns, i.e., dangerousness, disgust, unpredictability, and uncontrollability. In a sample of 200 dental patients who had accessed public-university-hospital dental surgery, this study assessed the model fit of the DFMQ and different types of validity (i.e., predictive, convergent, construct, and discriminant validity). In addition, potential differences between DFMQ dimensions were assessed based on gender (men vs. women) and age ranges. All indicators of cognitive vulnerability were significantly associated with high dental anxiety when each variable was included independently. In contrast, when the DFMQ subscales were considered together, only unpredictability and uncontrollability were found to be associated with high dental anxiety. Women had higher scores for unpredictability, uncontrollability, and general dangerousness than men. In addition, older patients had higher scores for some vulnerability cognitive patterns than younger patients. This study provides Italian dentists and researchers with a valid questionnaire to assess cognitive factors associated with dental anxiety.

The relationship between dental anxiety and oral health literacy with oral health-related quality of life

“…This anxiety is widespread, affecting a significant portion of the population at both individual and community levels [4]. It is observed across genders and age groups [5], though it tends to be more prevalent among women [6][7][8] and younger adults [9][10][11].…”

Impact of Dental Anxiety on Dental Care Routine and Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life in a German Adult Population—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…“Dental anxiety, a prevalent concern, is rooted in a complex interplay of cognitive and non-cognitive factors, which have been extensively investigated in the literature [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Cognitive factors encompass an individual’s thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions linked to dental encounters.…”

“…A study by Gasparro et al delved into cognitive vulnerability patterns, investigating their variance based on factors such as gender and age, among others. This research highlighted the significance of an individual’s cognitions and perceptions in the context of dental treatment and, furthermore, could observe that a higher level of dental anxiety can be found in females [ 11 ]. This sociodemographic finding is supported in the literature [ 13 , 14 ].…”