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Dental hygiene fear: gender and age differences
C C Gadbury-Amyot1, K B Williams
1Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Dentistry, USA. amyotc@umkc.edu
The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice
|August 9, 2002
Summary
Women experience greater dental hygiene fear than men, particularly regarding specific stimuli and generalized anxiety. Age did not significantly impact dental fear levels in this study.
Area of Science:
- Dental Hygiene
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Dental anxiety is a growing area of research.
- Understanding gender and age differences in dental fear is crucial for effective patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore fear and anxiety in a dental hygiene setting.
- To evaluate gender and age differences in four sub-scales of dental hygiene fear.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Dental Hygiene Fear Survey (DHFS).
- Utilizing the University of Washington Dental Fears Model with four domains: specific stimuli, generalized anxiety, catastrophe, and distrust.
- Analyzing gender and age differences in fear scores.
Main Results:
- Females reported significantly higher overall dental hygiene fear than males (p<.05).
- Females also reported greater fear related to specific stimuli and generalized anxiety.
- No significant age-related differences were found in total fear scores or sub-scales.
Conclusions:
- Gender significantly influences dental hygiene fear, with women experiencing higher levels.
- Age is not a significant factor in dental hygiene fear.
- Identifying patient fear characteristics can help practitioners develop targeted management strategies.
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