What are people afraid of during dental treatment? Anxiety-provoking capacity of 67 stimuli characteristic of the dental setting

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts.

Abstract

Invasive stimuli appeared to provoke most anxiety.

Main

Oosterink FMD, de Jongh A et al. Eur J Oral Sci 2008; 116: 44–51

A majority of patients experience anxiety in respect of dental treatment. In this study, 1,119 people were approached in public places in the Netherlands and 960 participated satisfactorily in answering a questionnaire on dental anxiety and the level provoked by 67 specified stimuli.

Invasive stimuli (n = 35; e.g. drilling, injections) were largely rated more anxiety-provoking than non-invasive (32; eg having X-rays, hands of dentist in mouth). Women rated almost all stimuli higher than men, and higher ratings were given by younger persons, those from a non-Dutch background, and those with higher dental trait anxiety scores. The authors suggest that individual dental anxiety assessments may help in treatment.