Changes in Self-reported Dental Anxiety in New Zealand Adolescents from Ages 15 to 18 Years

Abstract

Little is understood of the natural history of dental anxiety. The aim of this study was to examine three-year changes in self-reported dental anxiety among adolescent participants in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Dental anxiety was estimated at ages 15 and 18 by means of the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). A DAS score of 13+ defined high dental anxiety. Participants were assigned to one of four dental-anxiety study groups (Chronic, Incident, Remitted, or Never) on the basis of changes in reported level of anxiety from ages 15 to 18. Results are reported for the 691 participants who completed the DAS at both ages. The sample's overall dental anxiety score decreased significantly from age 15 (mean, 8.79) to 18 (8.52) (paired t test, t = 2.37; P < 0.05). The Chronic and Never groups had small negative DAS increments, the Incident group showed a substantial positive increment, and the Remitted group recorded an even larger negative increment. Multivariate analysis showed that the DAS score at age 15 was the sole predictor of the change in DAS score for the Chronic and Remitted groups, and was a co-predictor for the Incident and Never groups. An episodic dental visiting pattern was a strong predictor of a positive change in DAS score for the Incident group; and for the Never group, a higher DMFS score at age 15 predicted a positive change in DAS score at 18, but being female was predictive of a decrement. This study indicates lower stability of dental anxiety in late adolescence than has been reported from other age groups.

Dental fear/anxiety and dental behaviour management problems in children and adolescents: a review of prevalence and concomitant psychological factors

“…Thomson et al . did not find a different prevalence of DFA in their study population at age 15 compared with age 18, but when comparing DAS mean scores, the younger group scored higher 49 .…”

“…Two studies did not find any differences 17,42 (one based on mean scores and one on prevalence). One study reported no differences in the total group, but higher scores on CFSS‐DS in boys in an older age group (9–11 years olds) 23 , and one study reported no differences in prevalence but higher mean scores on DAS in girls 49 .…”

Ethnicity and Pathways of Fear in Endodontics

“…Avoidance of general dental appointments because of fear is reported to range between 5.5% and 15.5% in different populations (5,7,(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), indicating the importance of understanding the origin of a patient's fears so that appropriate management strategies may be implemented. The present study looks to understand the origins of dental fear in an ethnic diverse group of patients attending the Griffith University Dental Clinic.…”

Development and evaluation of the Jönköping Dental Fear Coping Model: a health professional perspective

“…Fortunately, dental fear sometimes remits but it may also persist or increase [3,16,17]. In the latter scenarios, psychological and practical problems during dental treatment may occur, not only for the patients but also for the dental health professionals.…”