Causes and Severity of Dentophobia in Polish Adults-A Questionnaire Study

A phobia is defined as an irrational fear, the intensity of which is inadequate to the circumstances, and it leads to the avoidance of situations that trigger it. A person with dentophobia avoids dental treatment, even when the pain in the teeth or oral cavity exceeds their fear. Fear and anxiety are the most common emotional states experienced by patients in dental offices. The aim of the study was to determine the following: the probable causes of dentophobia, which procedures patients fear the most, and the subjective feeling of fear on a point scale.

The research was conducted in the form of an anonymous online questionnaire and its printed equivalent. The survey was available from 23 January to 16 March 2020, and it was addressed to adult respondents. In total, 130 respondents and 102 dental students took part in the survey.

It is worthwhile emphasizing that the main reason for dentist visits (for almost one-third of men and almost one-fifth of women surveyed) is a toothache. Periodontal problems (2.2%), tooth extractions (1.8%), and prosthetic consultations (0.9%) were relatively rare reasons for the respondents to visit a dentist. The vast majority of respondents see the cause of dentophobia as being related to their previous bad experiences. The second most frequently chosen answer is anxiety, which is caused by the sounds of dental apparatus.

Pain is the most common reason given for fear of visiting a dentist, as well as the cause of dentophobia. Pain reduction can positively affect the frequency of visits to a dentist, thus, improving the condition of the oral cavity of patients.