Effect of Dental Anxiety on Oral Health among the First-Time Dental Visitors: A Hospital-based Study

The objective was to assess dental anxiety and to find its association with oral health status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among 20-40-year-old patients visiting Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital.

A single-center, hospital-based cross-sectional study was done among first-time dental visitors in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital over a period of 8 months (July 14-February 18). The sample size was determined to be 700. Participants in the age group of 20-40 years were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using Corah's Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and clinical examination was done using the WHO oral health assessment form and OHI-S. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and t-test. The associations found through bivariate analysis were entered as predictor variables into linear and binomial logistic regression models with high dental anxiety as the outcome variable.

The results of the study suggested that 56% of the study participants were having dental anxiety. Local anesthetic injection (80%) and fear of tooth drilling (60%) were the most anxiety-provoking stimulus. Analysis of OHIP-14 suggested that respondents perceiving oral health as affecting their life quality (very often/fairly often) in the past year were observed for items such as tension, difficulty to relax, irritability, difficulty in doing usual jobs, and totally unable to function because of oral problems. Dental anxiety was significantly associated with gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.32), education (OR = 1.43), occupation (OR = 2.07), poor oral hygiene status (OR = 3.15), presence of dental caries (OR = 2.67), bleeding on probing (OR = 1.57), presence of periodontal pockets (OR = 2.64), clinical attachment loss (OR = 1.63), and OHRQoL (OR = 1.76). Stepwise linear regression model of independent variables (<0.05 variables included) explained dental caries as highest predictor (39%), followed by debris (22%), calculus (38%), mean OHIS (27%), mean OHIP-14 (29%), deep pocket (14%), and the least predictor was shallow pocket (9%).

Dental anxiety was associated with poor oral health status seeking further attention to modify patients' behavior regarding improvement in oral health status.