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Determining Cut-Off Points for the Dental Fear Survey
Maurício Antônio Oliveira1, Cristiane Baccin Bendo1, Saul Martins Paiva1
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Objective:
To determine a high fear cut-off point score for the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) using a single-item self-report questionnaire.
Methods:
The DFS, a 20-item questionnaire assessing fear of dental treatment, was completed by 1,256 participants with a mean age of 22.3 years (SD = 5.1). Another self-report questionnaire was used to collect data on previous dental experiences. A high fear cut-off point score was determined by calculating the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the DFS. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were calculated; a significance level of p < 0.05 was used for all tests.
Results:
The ROC curve indicated that a DFS score ≥ 53 corresponds to a sensitivity of 88.9% and a specificity of 92.5%. Most participants (n = 895; 71.5%) reported no fear of going to the dentist. There was significant association between DFS score and fear assessed with the question "Are you fearful of going to the dentist?" (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
A cut-off point of 53 on the DFS total score represents the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity and can be used to predict high dental fear.
