Characteristics of early unpleasant dental experiences

There is evidence in the literature that dentally anxious individuals are not a homogeneous group. Various ways of categorizing them have been suggested. These categories have stemmed primarily from clinical experience or psychiatric diagnoses. In addition, Reiss' (1987, 1991) expectancy theory of fear, anxiety and panic appears to fit some of the etiological data. At the simplest level, it is suggested that dental anxiety may result from direct conditioning experiences or from a constitutional vulnerability to develop anxiety-based problems. Taking conditioning theory and Reiss's model as a basis, it was predicted dental events deemed unpleasant would fall under four categories: (a) events relating to dental specific procedures and stimuli, (b) events relating to injuries, (c) events relating to emotional responses and (d) events relating to dental personnel behavior. In addition, it was predicted that individuals who would report high-anxiety sensitivity as measured by the anxiety sensitivity index (ASI) would be more likely to perceive unpleasant incidents relating to injuries, emotional responses and dental personnel behavior than individuals with low-anxiety sensitivity. On the other hand, everyone would be affected by incidents relating to specific dental procedures and stimuli. The participants were 510 university students who were surveyed during class time. The first prediction was supported but the second one was only partially supported, in that, participants who obtained high scores on the ASI differed from the others only regarding injuries.