The Surgical Dental Anxiety Scale (SDAS)

Area of Science:

• Oral Surgery
• Dental Anesthesiology
• Psychology

Background:

• Rising prevalence of dental anxiety strains sedation services.
• The Index of Sedation Need (IOSN), recommended by NHS England, uses the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS).
• The MDAS may underestimate anxiety specifically related to dental extractions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the need for a procedure-specific dental anxiety scale in oral surgery.
• To propose a new model for assessing sedation need in oral surgery.
• To address limitations of the MDAS in the context of dental extractions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on dental anxiety assessment tools.
• Analysis of the MDAS's applicability to dental extractions.
• Proposal of the Surgical Dental Anxiety Scale (SDAS) as a solution.

Main Results:

• The MDAS is not procedure-specific and may not accurately reflect anxiety levels for dental extractions.
• A gap exists in current tools for assessing sedation need in oral surgery.
• The proposed Surgical Dental Anxiety Scale (SDAS) aims to provide a more accurate assessment.

Conclusions:

• A procedure-specific scale is needed for accurate dental anxiety assessment in oral surgery.
• The Surgical Dental Anxiety Scale (SDAS) is proposed to improve patient selection for sedation.
• Implementing the SDAS could enhance the efficiency and appropriateness of sedation services for dental extractions.