Dental anxiety: a comparison of dentate and edentulous subjects

Dental anxiety was measured in a representative, nationwide sample consisting of both dentate and edentulous subjects. Comparison of the mean scores of both groups shows that the edentulous sample is neither more nor less anxious about dental treatment than the dentate sample. The distribution of dental anxiety in edentulous subjects, however, differs considerably from that of the dentate group. Complete denture wearers are both more often dentally phobic and more often free from any anxiety than subjects still having at least part of their natural dentition.