Dental Anxiety Among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Comparative Analysis of MK-DAS and MDAS

Background/Objectives: This study included first- to fifth-year dental students and aimed to compare dental anxiety levels using the Musa Kazım Dental Anxiety Scale (MK-DAS) and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted at Altınbaş University Faculty of Dentistry (20-31 May 2024). A total of 200 students (40 per academic year) completed the 7-item MK-DAS (cut-off ≥ 17) and the 5-item MDAS (cut-off ≥ 15), and toothbrushing frequency was recorded. Between-year differences were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with effect sizes (ε²). The association between academic year and anxiety scores was further evaluated using multivariable linear regression adjusted for age and gender. Concordance between scales was assessed using Spearman's correlation. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: Participants were 62.5% female (n = 125), with a mean age of 22.22 ± 2.08 years; 75.5% reported brushing twice daily. Anxiety scores differed significantly across academic years (MDAS: H = 39.05, ε² = 0.184, p < 0.001; MK-DAS: H = 43.07, ε² = 0.200, p < 0.001). Second-year students had the highest mean scores (MDAS: 14.08 ± 4.53; MK-DAS: 18.40 ± 4.83), whereas fourth-year students had the lowest MDAS scores (8.43 ± 3.37). High anxiety prevalence was 23.0% (MDAS) and 29.0% (MK-DAS). The scales were strongly correlated (Spearman's ρ = 0.784, p < 0.001). Gender-related differences were significant only in second-year students. The association between academic year and anxiety scores remained significant after adjustment. Conclusions: Dental anxiety demonstrated a non-linear distribution across academic years, peaking in second-year students. MK-DAS showed strong concordance with MDAS. Findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional, web-based design.