Causes and Severity of Dentophobia in Polish Adults—A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Introduction: A phobia is defined as an irrational fear, the intensity of which is inadequate to the circumstances, and it leads to the avoidance of situations that trigger it. A person with dentophobia avoids dental treatment, even when the pain in the teeth or oral cavity exceeds their fear. Fear and anxiety are the most common emotional states experienced by patients in dental offices. The aim of the study was to determine the following: the probable causes of dentophobia, which procedures patients fear the most, and the subjective feeling of fear on a point scale. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in the form of an anonymous online questionnaire and its printed equivalent. The survey was available from 23 January to 16 March 2020, and it was addressed to adult respondents. In total, 130 respondents and 102 dental students took part in the survey. Results: It is worthwhile emphasizing that the main reason for dentist visits (for almost one-third of men and almost one-fifth of women surveyed) is a toothache. Periodontal problems (2.2%), tooth extractions (1.8%), and prosthetic consultations (0.9%) were relatively rare reasons for the respondents to visit a dentist. The vast majority of respondents see the cause of dentophobia as being related to their previous bad experiences. The second most frequently chosen answer is anxiety, which is caused by the sounds of dental apparatus. Conclusions: Pain is the most common reason given for fear of visiting a dentist, as well as the cause of dentophobia. Pain reduction can positively affect the frequency of visits to a dentist, thus, improving the condition of the oral cavity of patients.

Psychometric Assessment of the Romanian Version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+)

“…Participants who regularly go to the dentist reported a lower level of pain associated with dental anxiety than those who do not. Similarly, Furgala et al [36] consider that pain is an important stimulus for dental anxiety and reducing it will improve attendance to dental treatment.…”

Levels of Anxiety Associated With Dental Care

“…( 2022), que não encontraram diferenças significativas entre a idade e a ansiedade durante esses procedimentos. Por outro lado,estudos como os de Queiroz, et al, (2019), Jeddy et al, (2018) e Furgała, et al, (2021), sugerem que a ansiedade dos pacientes durante procedimentos odontológicos está relacionada à idade, refletindo no grau de medo e ansiedade experimentadas anteriormente durante tais procedimentos odontológicos. Jeddy, et al (2018) sugeriram que um aumento nas visitas pode diminuir os níveis de ansiedade entre os pacientes.…”

“…Pacientes com altos níveis de ansiedade dentária tendem a adiar o tratamento dentário, o que pode impactar negativamente a qualidade de vida e levar a problemas bucais, como doenças periodontais graves, cáries e até perda dentária (Carlsson, Viktor;Hakeberg, Magnus;Wide Boman, 2015) A ansiedade dentária é uma condição subjetiva e o diagnóstico pode ser feito por diferentes métodos multidimensionais (Appukuttan, 2017). Muitas pesquisas indicam que fatores sensoriais, como odores, visão e paladar, podem ser ativadores principais da ansiedade durante o atendimento odontológico (Furgała et al, 2021). Além disso, estudos sugerem que experiências traumáticas prévias em consultas odontológicas podem aumentar a ansiedade e diminuir o limiar de dor durante o tratamento (Jeddy et al, 2018).…”

Dentophobia-latent Component Factor Analysis of Dental Concerns Assessment Scale

“…According to some authors, around 73.47% of the patients have fear of vomiting or choking of gagging. Most of the respondents rank the fear of vomiting reflex as moderate [27], [28]. It is also important that parent/carer presence have an influence on the patient's response.…”

“…Pain related fear is a main motivator for avoidance or delay of dental visit in patients with DF [30]. https://oamjms.eu/index.php/mjms/index Pain reduction can positively affect the frequency of visits to a dentist leading to improvement of the oral health [28]. Pain is cited as a very common reason for rejecting a dental procedure, as well as a cause of DF.…”