[Dental anxiety in an emergency dental service]

Feasibility of minimum intervention oral healthcare delivery for individuals with dental phobia

BACKGROUND

People with dental phobia often present with more active dental caries and fewer teeth. Minimally Intervention oral Healthcare offers a possible solution to address the high care needs of this group. The aim was to determine this patient group's eligibility and willingness to participate and the effect of MIOC, compared to treatment as usual (TAU), on their oral health outcomes for planning a future randomised controlled trial (RCT). Minimum intervention oral healthcare (MIOC) comprises of four interlinked domains. In the first domain, we identified and diagnosed the disease status and participants' anxiety status (≥ 19 MDAS). In the second domain, an individualised prevention-based personalised care plan was designed. During this process, patients with dental phobia were exposed to the dental environment in a stepped manner ('graded exposure') and had their urgent care provided with conscious sedation. In the 3^rd domain, we took a minimally invasive operative approach to restore teeth while preserving tooth substance and limiting the use of fear-provoking stimuli (e.g., rotary instruments) when possible. At the review and the recall appointment(s) (4^th domain), the patients' oral health care behaviours, disease risk/susceptibility and fear levels were re-assessed.

METHODS

This two-arm randomised feasibility trial (N = 44) allocated participants to the experimental arm (MIOC) or the control arm (treatment as usual [TAU]). The primary outcomes were the eligibility and willingness to participate and feasibility to conduct a trial of MIOC for people with dental phobia. The secondary outcomes were oral health status, oral health related quality of life and care completion. A written and verbal consent for participation and dental care provision were obtained.

RESULTS

Forty-four people diagnosed with dental phobia were allocated randomly to the two study arms. At the six-month recall after completed care, the outcome of each study arm was assessed. It was feasible to conduct a clinical trial (eligibility rate [56%], completion rate [81%], declined to participate [12%]). The intervention group showed improvements in all health care outcomes, and oral health related quality of life.

CONCLUSION

A clinical trial of MIOC vs TAU in people with dental phobia is feasible. Preliminary findings suggest that patients in the MIOC arm are more likely to successfully complete their course of treatment. The study was 'retrospectively registered' on 02/05/2018 (ISRCT15294714) with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial (ISRCT).

Number of teeth lost on diet quality and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

To describe the oral health profile and evaluate the impact of tooth loss on diet quality and glycemic control among 66 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) treated in an endocrinology outpatient clinic at a teaching hospital.

METHODS

Questionnaires about diabetes self-care (SDSCA), masticatory ability, diet quality, anxiety level about dental treatment, and oral health were applied. Laboratory tests were retrieved from medical records or newly collected samples.

RESULTS

The presence of fewer than 21 teeth was associated with an unsatisfactory self-perceived masticatory ability (r = 0.44; p = 0.007). Most participants reported not having received guidance on oral health from their endocrinologists (81.8%) and having had the last visit to the dentist 2 years or more before the study (36.8%). The mean HbA1c level in the group with fewer than 21 teeth was comparable to that in the group with functional dentition (8.9 ± 1.5 and 8.7 ± 1.6%, respectively; p = 0.60).

CONCLUSION

Adults with T2DM have a high prevalence of tooth loss and lack of information about oral hygiene care. Our results reinforce the need for more effective communication between medical and dental care teams.

Dentists deployed: an insider's perspective of life on the NHS front line

The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched and overburdened healthcare services within the UK. This national crisis has led to the widespread redeployment of healthcare workers and reorganization of services throughout the NHS in the UK. The flexible and altruistic nature of healthcare workers has been inspiring, and central in the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes the 'first-hand' experience of a secondary care dentist, highlighting the redeployment journey to the emergency department (ED) of a major trauma hospital in the North-West of England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anxiety/fear of dental treatment during pregnancy: use of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS)

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in the control of anxiety and fear, dental treatment (DT) continues to be a stressful event, especially during pregnancy. There are several instruments to measure anxiety and fear about DT (AFDT). However, few are validated for use in Brazil. Our objective was to validate the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) for use in Brazil and to evaluate the association between AFDT and the use of oral health services (OHS) during pregnancy.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study nested in a prospective cohort. We conducted a face, content, and construct validation. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was the comparison instrument with MDAS. Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were also assessed. Associations were estimated by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) in multiple logistic regression analysis (alpha=5%).

RESULTS

There were no difficulties in the translation/back-translation process. The reproducibility of the instrument was 0.54 (P=0.01). The correlation of MDAS with VAS was 0.71 (P=0.003). The reliability of the instrument was high (Cronbach's alpha: 0.79 to 0.87). After validation, the instrument was administered to 486 women. Mild or moderate AFDT was reported by 81.3% of pregnant women and at higher levels, by 8.2%. There was no association between the use of OHS and AFDT at moderate levels (OR=2.03; 95%CI: 0.45-9.09) or high (OR=1.35; 95%CI: 0.20-9.13).

CONCLUSIONS

MDAS is a valid instrument for measuring AFDT. The prevalence of AFDT among pregnant women is high, but this event does not seem to be associated with the use of OHS.

Psychometric Assessment of the Urdu Version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear

Background

The objective of the current study was to adapt the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C) in the Urdu language and measure its validity and reliability.

Methods

Original English questionnaire of IDAF-4C was translated into Urdu language by a panel of dentists and language experts (Urdu and English) followed by critical evaluation, modification and back translation into English language. A final Urdu questionnaire was distributed among 250 patients visiting the Endodontics section at Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the Index whereas validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Mean rank scores of IDAF-4C for male and female participants were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U tests (P < 0.05).

Results

Of 250 questionnaires, 209 were returned with a response rate of 84%. Cronbach’s alpha for the Urdu version of IDAF-4C was 0.88. Exploratory factor analysis of the IDAF-4C revealed one factor explaining 55.55% of the common variance (Eigenvalue = 4.5). The mean rank scores of all eight items of IDAF-4C were greater for female participants as compared to male participants with a statistically significant association (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The psychometric analysis of the Urdu version of IDAF-4C showed good reliability and consistency compared to the original version as well as other translated versions.

Observational study of adverse reactions related to articaine and lidocaine

PURPOSE

This study determined the frequency of adverse reactions related to the administration of local dental anesthesia with 4% articaine compared with 2% lidocaine, both associated with epinephrine 1:100,000. The null hypothesis was that there is no difference between the administrations of both dental local anesthesia.

METHODS

From a total of 727 patients in an emergency service, 338 and 389 patients were subjected to local anesthesia with lidocaine and articaine, respectively. A questionnaire was completed for each patient that contained patient data, the local anesthesia applied, and any reactions.

RESULTS

The overall frequency of adverse reactions was 3.71%, with sweating and pallor being the most frequently observed. There was an association between adverse reactions and the use of daily medication by patients anesthetized with articaine (p = 0.0266). In contrast, in patients anesthetized with lidocaine, there was an association among the duration of the procedure (p = 0.0423), the type of procedure (p = 0.0146), and first anesthesia exposure (p = 0.0448).

CONCLUSIONS

The low frequency of adverse reactions with use of articaine and lidocaine led to the conclusion that both solutions are safe for use in dentistry.

Dental emergency: Scoping review

Part of the oral health care in the care network encompasses users in emergency cases. This study proposed mapping the determinants of the use of dental care services within the health care network to address dental emergencies within the Brazilian Unified Health System (UHS) and to verify the main gaps in the research in this area. This is a scoping review that took place in 2018 using Andersen's behavioral model as a reference. A total of 16 studies, out of 3786 original articles identified, were included and reviewed. Two reviewers independently conducted the selection process and the decision was consensually made. The mapping of the determinants revealed a greater number of enabling factors and a larger gap in the results. Greater use of the emergency service was registered by people in pain, women, adults, those from an urban area, people with a lower income, and those with less education. In future studies, primary surveys are recommended, which include all ages, and analyze different groups of needs and users that take into account the country's northern region and the different subjects pointed out by this review.

Verification of the Korean Version of the Dental Fear Survey

Background

Although studies on dental fear in relation to sex and age have been conducted, there have been few nationwide studies particularly on the youth sector. In addition, no validity and reliability verifications have been implemented for new research groups on the Korean version of the Dental Fear Survey (K-DFS). Therefore, this study aimed to apply the K-DFS developed in a previous study on Korean youth to draw conclusions on dental fear among the youth.

Methods

This study used the K-DFS, a Korean translation of Kleinknecht's Dental Fear Survey for elementary school, middle school, and high school students. This study selected 2,161 young people of various ages as participants and increased the validity of the research results by expanding nationwide the scope of the study area.

Results

Differences in fear levels according to sex were higher in boys fear behavior scores than in girls' regarding dental treatment (P < 0.05). Students with dental fear had higher scores on items associated with dental treatment and fear of dental stimuli compared with students without dental fear (P < 0.05). Differences were observed among the three groups (P < 0.05). However, the results of logistic regression analysis showed no statistically significant differences for dental visits based on sex, grade, and other subcomponents (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

By verifying the validity of the newly developed K-DFS, this research confirmed its utility as a dental fear questionnaire. Therefore, there can be no objection that the grounds for criticism have been established according to conventional wisdom. In the future, however, developing and studying the limits of K-DFS that overcome the factors of dental fear, especially pain, will help reduce dental fear in adolescents.

Manifestation of Anxiety during Dental Treatment: Integrative Literature Review

Abstract Even with the technical-scientific advance in Dentistry, it is still seen as a profession that causes anxiety in children and adults. Therefore, in addition to the technical knowledge, the dental surgeon must have different strategies in the management and conduct of this situation once anxiety if aggravated can become pathological and interfere in the patient's oral health and  his or her  quality of life. Thus, the present study was conducted in order to realize the main aspects of dental anxiety, aiming to improve patient-dentist relationship, avoiding the onset of phobic disorders. This is an integrative review of the literature, using the Lilacs and SciELO databases with the descriptors anxiety, phobia and dentist verified individually and later they were crossed with AND operator with search period from 2000 to 2019, articles in Portuguese and in fulltext. The exclusion criteria were: thesis, books, final paper and dissertations. 20 articles were identified which showed that anxiety directly interferes with the effectiveness of treatment in different age groups. Priority should be given to communication between the dental surgeon and his or her patient, to recognize possible causes of discomfort. In addition, it is necessary to carry out more studies because there are differences in the literature concerning the interference of social and economic factors and schooling  levels  in the anxiety development. Keywords: Anxiety. Dentist. Phobia.  ResumoMesmo com o avanço técnico-científico na Odontologia, esta ainda é vista como uma profissão que provoca ansiedade em crianças e adultos. Dessa forma, além do conhecimento técnico, o cirurgião-dentista deve possuir estratégias diferenciadas no manejo e na conduta perante esta situação, uma vez que, se agravada, a ansiedade pode torna-se patológica e interferir na saúde bucal do paciente, afetando diretamente sua qualidade de vida. Assim, o presente estudo foi conduzido com intuito de perceber os principais aspectos da ansiedade odontológica, visando aperfeiçoar as relações paciente-dentista, evitando o desencadeamento de transtornos fóbicos. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, utilizando as bases de dados Lilacs e Scielo com os descritores: medo, fobia e dentista, verificados individualamente e posteriormente feito cruzamenento com AND, com período de busca de 2000 a 2019, artigos em portugues e na íntegra. Os critérios de exclusão foram: teses, livros, trabalhos de conclusão de cursos e dissertações. Foram identificados 20 artigos que  evidenciaram que a ansiedade interfere diretamente na efetividade do tratamento em diferentes faixas etárias, devendo-se priorizar a comunicação entre o cirurgião-dentista e seu paciente, para reconhecer possíveis causas de desconforto. Porém, é necessário realizar mais estudos devido as divergências na literatura referente a interferência de fatores sociais, econômicos e níveis de escolaridade, no desenvolvimento da ansiedade. Palavras-chave: Ansiedade. Dentista. Fobia.

Effect of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain and Anxiety During Dental Treatment in 5 to 8 Year Old Children

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at assessing the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) distraction technique on pain and anxiety in 5-8-year-old children, during short invasive dental procedures.

STUDY DESIGN

120 children, aged 5-8 years, scoring less than 25 on the SCARED questionnaire, scheduled to undergo short invasive dental procedures, were randomly divided into a control (without VR distraction) and study group (with VR distraction) of 60 each. State anxiety levels were assessed in the children from both groups using revised version of Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale, before and after dental treatment. Pain perceived during treatment was assessed using Wong Baker Faces pain rating scale at the end of treatment. Salivary cortisol levels were also assessed before, during and after the dental procedure, in all children.

RESULTS

We observed a significant reduction in pain perception and state anxiety in children, using VR distraction (p<0.001, p=0.002). The decrease in salivary cortisol levels was significantly greater in children using VR distraction (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Virtual Reality distraction can be used as a successful behavior modification method in children undergoing short invasive dental treatments.

The influence of clinical and psychosocial characteristics on children behaviour during sequential dental visits: a longitudinal prospective assessment

PURPOSE

This is the first study to adopt a multilevel approach to assess the impact of the order of dental visits on child's behaviour. The aim was to investigate which factors directly interfere with child's behaviour regardless of the order of sequential dental visits.

METHODS

In this prospective longitudinal study, children aged 7-12 years were invited to participate. Child behaviour was assessed using the Frankl Scale during four sequential dental visits. Chi-square test was used to analyse the effect of dental fear on children's non-cooperative behaviour according to the presence of dental fear. Multilevel mixed logistic regression model was used to assess the association between predictor variables and the outcome (child behaviour) during the sequential dental visits.

RESULTS

Overall, 111 children participated in this study. Maternal dental anxiety, dental pain and complexity of the treatment were associated with the non-cooperative behaviour in children aged 7-12 years. When stratified by dental fear, the complexity of the treatment remained associated with non-cooperative behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide evidence that, even with the familiarization of child with the dental environment, maternal dental anxiety, dental pain in the last month, and the complexity of dental treatment negatively affect the children's behaviour aged 7-12 years.

Dor, ansiedade e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal de pacientes atendidos no serviço de urgência odontológica

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar associação entre dor pré-operatória, ansiedade e impacto da condição bucal na qualidade de vida dos pacientes atendidos no serviço de Urgência Odontológica da Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri. Estudo transversal retrospectivo foi conduzido avaliando dados clínicos de 240 prontuários de pacientes com idades entre 18 e 65 anos. A dor foi mensurada pela Heft-Parker Visual Analogue Scale; ansiedade, pela Corah’s Detal Anxiety Scale e qualidade de vida, pelo Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Associações foram analisadas pelo Teste qui-quadrado de Pearson (p < 0,05). Foi observada associação estatisticamente significante entre dor e pior qualidade de vida, com impacto nos domínios desconforto psicológico (p < 0,001), incapacidade física (p < 0,001), psicológica (p < 0,001) e social (p < 0,001). Ansiedade influenciou na pior qualidade de vida, com impacto nos domínios desconforto psicológico (p = 0,009), incapacidade fisica (p = 0,016), psicológica (p = 0,011) e desvantagem social (p = 0,028). Esse estudo é relevante para o planejamento de ações voltadas para a saúde bucal dos pacientes atendidos nos serviços de urgência odontológica, priorizando aqueles com maiores impactos psicossociais decorrentes dos problemas bucais.

Patient-dentist relationship and dental anxiety among young Sudanese adult patients

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of the patient-dentist relationship on dental anxiety among young adult Sudanese patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 864 patients attending outpatient dental clinics of the governmental dental hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan were recruited; 51.2% were males and 48.8% were females, with an age range of 18-24 years. The questionnaire used evaluated the socio-demographics, education levels, economic status, patient experience, and also included the Dental Anxiety Scale, Corah (J Dent Res 1969 48: 596).

RESULTS

High dental anxiety was reported by 22.2%, 29.5% reported moderate dental anxiety, and 48.3% reported low or no dental anxiety. There were statistically significant associations between dental anxiety and gender, time lapse since the previous dental visit (P < 0.004) and the reason for the previous visit (P < 0.001). In addition, the dental clinic environment (P < 0.002), the time waiting before seeing the dentist (P < 0.001) and the overhearing of pain expressed by other patients (P < 0.001) were also statistically significant. Negative comments by the treating dentist also had a statistically significant impact (P < 0.032). In contrast, a clear explanation of related dental care (P < 0.008), as well as the allowance of adequate time to discuss oral health (P < 0.006), had significantly positive effects.

CONCLUSION

The study showed that the patient-dentist relationship had a significant association with dental anxiety, and may be an important target for improving the delivery and standards of oral health in dentally anxious patients in this region.

Dental students' attitudes towards management of pain and anxiety during a dental emergency: educational issues

INTRODUCTION

High levels of patients' pain and anxiety characterise dental emergencies. The main objective of this study was to examine the self-reported attitudes of dental students towards these parameters in emergency conditions. A secondary objective was to determine if individual parameters (gender, personal experience of dental pain, personal dental anxiety and year of study) might affect their attitudes.

METHODS

One-hundred and eighty-seven undergraduate dental students with clinical practice completed a multiple-choice self-administered questionnaire online. The aforesaid individual parameters were collected and the students were asked to rate the frequency of their behaviour towards items representing good management of patients' pain and anxiety. The chi-square test of independence, Fisher's exact test and multiple logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Oral assessment of anxiety before treatment was scarce and was significantly associated with the students having personally experienced dental pain (P = 0.007). Pre-, intra- and postoperative pain appeared to be managed unequally by the students. Male students were significantly less likely to inform patients about postoperative pain (P = 0.014). More clinical experience was associated with less systematic consideration for intra-operative pain (P < 0.05). Being dentally anxious showed no significant association with higher frequencies of behaviours towards patients' pain and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the need for educational improvement regarding pain and anxiety in emergency conditions, especially concerning the assessment methods and continuity in the control of pain. Emergency dental care appears to be a very suitable field for contextual learning.

Correlation between salivary cortisol levels and dental anxiety in children of smokers and nonsmokers

Objectives:

The present study was undertaken to evaluate salivary cortisol levels in children of smokers and nonsmokers and thereby establishing the relationship between cortisol levels in response to anxiety in children based on their father's habit of smoking.

Materials and Methods:

The study population aged between 8 and 10 years includes two groups. Group 1 is comprised 20 children of cigarette smokers and Group 2 is comprised 20 children of nonsmokers. The passive drooling technique was used to collect unstimulated saliva from the children using a sterile container. Salivary cortisol levels were evaluated using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay method. The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software and paired t-test.

Results:

Higher mean salivary cortisol levels were found in children of smokers compared to children of nonsmokers and the difference between them was significant statistically (P < 0.05). Higher salivary cortisol levels were found in females compared to males and the result was significant statistically (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

This study has proved that the smoking habit of the father has a negative influence on the anxiety levels of their children.

Perfil do atendimento odontológico no Serviço de Urgência para crianças e adolescentes da Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara (FOAr) ‒ UNESP

Resumo Introdução: Atendimentos de urgência são uma prática comum em Odontopediatria, porém pouco se sabe sobre o perfil desses atendimentos. Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil dos atendimentos de urgência de crianças de 0 a 13 anos de idade realizados na Clínica Infantil da FOAr, no período de 1997 a 2012, a fim de se quantificarem os pacientes e os procedimentos realizados no Serviço, além de identificar os tratamentos mais realizados. Material e método: Neste estudo transversal observacional, os relatórios desse Serviço, fornecidos pelo Sistema Integrado de Clínicas, foram analisados quanto ao número de pacientes, aos atendimentos e ao tipo de procedimentos realizados. Os procedimentos foram classificados em sete categorias: Diagnóstico, Preventivos, Anestesia, Endodônticos, Restauradores, Cirúrgicos e Outros. Esses dados foram tabulados e submetidos a uma análise descritiva. Resultado: De 1997 a 2012, foi atendido um total de 13.849 pacientes e foram realizados 25.786 atendimentos e 86.279 procedimentos. Houve diminuição do número de pacientes atendidos a partir de 2001, mas o número de consultas e de procedimentos não diminuiu na mesma proporção. Observou-se que, durante o período de 2007 a 2012, os procedimentos de diagnóstico foram os mais realizados, seguidos pelos preventivos. Dentre os procedimentos operatórios, o mais realizado foi o restaurador, seguido dos endodônticos. Procedimentos cirúrgicos estão entre os menos realizados. Conclusão: Conclui-se que houve uma mudança no perfil dos atendimentos dentro desse Serviço. Apesar de haver uma redução no número de pacientes atendidos, o número de consultas e a quantidade de procedimentos realizados permaneceram estáveis. Os procedimentos realizados estão de acordo com o perfil do Serviço de Urgência.

Dental anxiety and fear among a young population with hearing impairment

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Dental fear and anxiety is a major barrier for dental care provision. Identifying anxious patients can help dental professionals manage them appropriately. The study aimed at assessing dental fear and anxiety among a deaf population in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and their associated and contributing factors.

METHOD

In this cross sectional study 165 deaf participants were invited to complete a questionnaire comprising three sections. The first section contained questions about social and economical status, the second comprised a Romanian version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) while part three was the Dental Fear Survey (DFS). Data was introduced and analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA).

RESULTS

Thirty four point nine percent (34.9%) of respondents were found to be insignificantly anxious, 59.7% were moderately or extremely anxious with 5.3% being identified with dental phobia based on the MDAS scores. Mean total score for dental anxiety on the MDAS scale was 13.7. Patients suffering from a prior negative experience were found to be more anxious (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Dental fear and anxiety is widespread in the deaf communities. Higher percentages were observed among women and people with a previous traumatic dental experience.

Does atraumatic restorative treatment reduce dental anxiety in children? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Dental anxiety is one of the major problems affecting children, which impairs the rendering of dental care, leading to impaired quality of life. It often leads to occupational stress in dental personnel and conflict between parents/caregivers. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials done in children, to synthesize evidence of the effectiveness of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) in reducing dental anxiety in children compared to conventional restorative treatments. The databases searched included PubMed, Google Scholar and The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register. Eligible studies reporting dental anxiety by a variety of psychometric scales were tabulated. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. Among 416 studies retrieved through literature search, six studies matched the inclusion criteria. Due to lack of data, only three studies were included for meta-analysis using RevMan software (Review Manager, Version 5.3;The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, 2014). The pooled meta-analysis data, (standardized mean difference − 2.12 [95% confidence interval: −4.52, 0.27]) failed to show any difference between ART group and the conventional treatment group. In conclusion, ART was not more beneficial in reducing dental anxiety among pediatric dental patients. The findings are relevant in the field of clinical practice in dentistry in the management of the anxious pediatric dental patient.

Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Dental Fear Survey

BACKGROUND

Many people experience varying levels of discomfort when confronted with the prospect of dental treatment. Dental treatment can be a traumatic experience, especially for children and adolescents with dental anxiety. In this age group, dental fear causes a significant problem in dental management and has been related to severe dental caries and dental pain. The Dental Fear Survey ( DFS ) is the most widely used measure of dental fear. This study was undertaken to develop the Korean version of the DFS ( K-DFS ) and test its reliability and validity.

METHODS

The K-DFS, which uses projective techniques to measure children's and adolescents' dental fear, was developed. The DFS was translated into Korean and participants were selected via convenience sampling. Reliability and validity were tested using data from a sample of 813 middle school students in Gyeonggi Province, selected from the Self questionnaire survey. The K-DFS was administered twice to 102 adolescents aged 12-15 years.

RESULTS

The K-DFS had high internal consistency reliability (99.1%) but low test-retest reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the Korean versions of the DFS have good internal consistency reliabilities and test-retest validities. However, we need to further examine the test-retest reliability of the K-DFS and replicate the current study in different samples covering various age groups.

Single-Session Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dental Anxiety

Therapy interventions for dental anxiety that can be easily implemented in dental health care settings are needed. A series of six case studies is presented to demonstrate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a single-session computerized cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for dental anxiety. Six patients at a community dental clinic (five females, Mage = 49.50, SD = 10.48) who were identified as having high dental anxiety on the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) participated in this uncontrolled pilot trial. All patients completed pre-treatment assessments of dental anxiety and the computerized therapy during the hour before a scheduled dental appointment, and five of six patients completed a 1-month follow-up assessment. All six of the patients were able to complete the intervention with minimal assistance and reported that they were very satisfied with the therapy. Three of the five patients available for follow-up assessment demonstrated clinically significant reductions in their dental anxiety, with MDAS scores dropping from the high range to the low range. Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of this computerized dental anxiety intervention. Implications for the dissemination of this intervention within dental health care settings and improvement of anxious patients’ access to dental care are discussed.

Assessment of anxiety in patients who undergo surgical procedures for tooth implants: a prospective study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate general anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and dental anxiety using the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (Corah-DAS) in patients who underwent surgical procedures for dental implants.

METHODS

The study was performed with 55 patients who underwent implant surgery, of whom 37 were treated at a university and 18 were treated at a private office. General anxiety (STAI) and dental anxiety (Corah-DAS) were assessed at three different time points: appointment prior to clinical procedures (T1), day of procedures (just before the procedures; T2), and first post-procedure appointment (T3). The data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by the Duncan test or Student's t-test.

RESULTS

State anxiety increased on the day of surgery (T2), whereas trait anxiety was higher at T1 (both p < 0.05). Women (n = 41) presented higher state anxiety at T2 than men (n = 14). Patients who were treated at the university (n = 37) exhibited higher state anxiety at both T1 and T3 than patients who were treated in a private practice (n = 18). Individuals with lower dental anxiety at T1 were those who reported having good experiences with dental treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

An increase in state anxiety was observed immediately before surgical procedures, and this increase was more pronounced in females. Although the Corah-DAS has been used as an indicator of dental anxiety, the STAI appears to be more sensitive for the measurement of anxiety. The application of appropriate methods is essential for ascertaining anxiety in patients, which should be considered in oral surgeries.

Clinical implications of panic symptoms in dental phobia

The occurrence of panic symptoms in various anxiety disorders has been associated with more severely impaired and difficult-to-treat cases, but this has not been investigated in dental phobia. We examined the clinical implications of panic symptoms related to sub-clinical and clinically significant dental phobia. The sample consisted of 61 patients at a university dental clinic who endorsed symptoms of dental phobia, 25 of whom met criteria for a formal diagnosis of dental phobia. Participants with dental phobia endorsed more panic symptoms than did those with sub-clinical dental phobia. In the total sample, greater endorsement of panic symptoms was associated with higher dental anxiety, more avoidance of dental procedures, and poorer oral health-related quality of life. Among those with dental phobia, certain panic symptoms exhibited associations with specific anxiety-eliciting dental procedures. Panic symptoms may serve as indicators of clinically significant dental phobia and the need for augmented treatment.

Peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure during dental treatment of children with cyanotic congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVES

In this observational study, we evaluated the peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, and blood pressure of children with cyanotic congenital heart disease who were undergoing dental extraction.

METHODS

Forty-four patients between the ages of 6 and 12 years who underwent upper primary tooth extraction were included in the study. Of these, 20 patients were in the cyanotic congenital heart disease group and 24 were in the control group.

RESULTS

Peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure in the cyanotic congenital heart disease group varied quite significantly during the treatment protocol (p<0.05), with values of 80.5% (±7.6) to 82.8% (±7.8), 95.3 beats per minute (bpm) (±11.3) to 101.3 bpm (±9.8), and 93.6 mm Hg (±13,3) to 103.8 mm Hg (±12.7), respectively. The variations in the control group during the procedure were also significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The changes observed during the study protocol, although statistically significant, were mild and lacked clinical relevance. The results indicate that dental treatment of children with cyanotic heart disease using a standardized protocol in decentralized offices without the support of a surgical center is safe.

Additional psychometric data for the Spanish Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, and psychometric data for a Spanish version of the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey

Background

Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Previous work with the Spanish Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) yielded good validity, but lower test-retest reliability. We report the performance of the Spanish MDAS in a new sample, as well as the performance of the Spanish Revised Dental Beliefs Survey (R-DBS).

Methods

One hundred sixty two Spanish-speaking adults attending Spanish-language church services or an Hispanic cultural festival completed questionnaires containing the Spanish MDAS, Spanish R-DBS, and dental attendance questions, and underwent a brief oral examination. Church attendees completed the questionnaire a second time, for test-retest purposes.

Results

The Spanish MDAS and R-DBS were completed by 156 and 136 adults, respectively. The test-retest reliability of the Spanish MDAS was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.60-0.92). The internal reliability of the Spanish R-DBS was 0.96 (95% CI = 0.94-0.97), and the test-retest reliability was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.64-0.94). The two measures were significantly correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.38, p < 0.001). Participants who do not currently go to a dentist had significantly higher MDAS scores (t = 3.40, df = 106, p = 0.003) as well as significantly higher R-DBS scores (t = 2.21, df = 131, p = 0.029). Participants whose most recent dental visit was for pain or a problem, rather than for a check-up, scored significantly higher on both the MDAS (t = 3.00, df = 106, p = 0.003) and the R-DBS (t = 2.85, df = 92, p = 0.005). Those with high dental fear (MDAS score 19 or greater) were significantly more likely to have severe caries (Chi square = 6.644, df = 2, p = 0.036). Higher scores on the R-DBS were significantly related to having more missing teeth (Spearman's rho = 0.23, p = 0.009).

Conclusion

In this sample, the test-retest reliability of the Spanish MDAS was higher. The significant relationships between dental attendance and questionnaire scores, as well as the difference in caries severity seen in those with high fear, add to the evidence of this scale's construct validity in Hispanic samples. Our results also provide evidence for the internal and test-retest reliabilities, as well as the construct validity, of the Spanish R-DBS.

Psychometric properties of Greek versions of the Modified Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS)

Background

A growing body of literature describes the performance of dental fear questionnaires in various countries. We describe the psychometric properties of Greek versions of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) in adult Greek patients.

Methods

Greek versions of the MDAS and DFS were administered to two samples of adult dental patients. In the first sample, 195 patients attending one of three private practice dental offices in a large city in Greece completed the questionnaires in the waiting room before dental treatment. After treatment, their dentists (who did not know how the patients had answered the questionnaire) rated their anxiety during dental treatment. In the second sample, 41 patients attending a Greek university dental school clinic completed the questionnaire twice at two separate visits, in order to provide test-retest data. Cronbach's alpha was used to compute the internal consistencies, while Spearman's rho was used to compute the test-retest reliabilities. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the responses to the MDAS and DFS by Spearman's rho. Spearman's rho was also used to examine the criterion validities, by comparing the questionnaire responses with the dentists' ratings of anxiety.

Results

The internal consistencies for the MDAS were 0.90 and 0.92 in the two samples; for the DFS, the internal consistencies were 0.96 in both samples. The test-retest reliabilities were 0.94 for the MDAS and 0.95 for the DFS. The correlation between the two questionnaires was 0.89. The patients' responses to both questionnaires were significantly related to the dentists' ratings of their anxiety during dental treatment (both p values <0.001).

Conclusion

The results indicate that the Greek versions of the MDAS and DFS have good internal consistencies and test-retest reliabilities, as well as good construct and criterion validities. The psychometric properties of the Greek versions of these questionnaires appear to be similar to those previously reported in other countries.

Psychometric properties of Spanish-language adult dental fear measures

Background

It would be useful to have psychometrically-sound measures of dental fear for Hispanics, who comprise the largest ethnic minority in the United States. We report on the psychometric properties of Spanish-language versions of two common adult measures of dental fear (Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, MDAS; Dental Fear Survey, DFS), as well as a measure of fear of dental injections (Needle Survey, NS).

Methods

Spanish versions of the measures were administered to 213 adults attending Hispanic cultural festivals, 31 students (who took the questionnaire twice, for test-retest reliability), and 100 patients at a dental clinic. We also administered the questionnaire to 136 English-speaking adults at the Hispanic festivals and 58 English-speaking students at the same college where we recruited the Spanish-speaking students, to compare the performance of the English and Spanish measures in the same populations.

Results

The internal reliabilities of the Spanish MDAS ranged from 0.80 to 0.85. Values for the DFS ranged from 0.92 to 0.96, and values for the NS ranged from 0.92 to 0.94. The test-retest reliabilities (intra-class correlations) for the three measures were 0.69, 0.86, and 0.94 for the MDAS, DFS, and NS, respectively. The three measures showed moderate correlations with one another in all three samples, providing evidence for construct validity. Patients with higher scores on the measures were rated as being more anxious during dental procedures. Similar internal reliabilities and correlations were found in the English-version analyses. The test-retest values were also similar in the English students for the DFS and NS; however, the English test-retest value for the MDAS was better than that found in the Spanish students.

Conclusion

We found evidence for the internal reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity for the Spanish versions of the three measures, and evidence for the test-retest reliability of the Spanish versions of the DFS and NS.

Do dental anxiety questionnaires raise anxiety in dentally anxious adult patients? A two-wave panel study

OBJECTIVE

To test whether or not dentally anxious patients attending the dentist for an appointment become more anxious when completing a dental anxiety questionnaire.

BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN

Patients were initially screened to include only those who were dentally anxious. A pre- and post-test was planned with the completion of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire as the intervention.

CLINICAL SETTING

Two dental access centres in the North West of England.

PARTICIPANTS

Initially, 583 patients were screened. Of these, 182 (31%) were found to be dentally anxious and were recruited into the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale Short Form.

RESULTS

State anxiety did not change with the completion of the MDAS questionnaire in either designated dental phobics (MDAS >or=19) or those classified as non-phobics (MDAS <19).

CONCLUSIONS

The MDAS can be used to assess dental anxiety without raising anxiety in patients with or without self-reported dental phobia.

Emergency Dental Clinic Patients in South Devon, their Anxiety Levels, Expressed Demand for Treatment under Sedation and Suitability for Management under Sedation

Objective

To assess the anxiety levels of patients attending two salaried dental service emergency clinics, their expressed demand for treatment under sedation, and their medical suitability for dental sedation.

Design

A questionnaire survey, incorporating the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and assessment of American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) physical status classification, of all adult patients attending two emergency dental clinics in Torquay and Newton Abbot.

Results

513 patients returned questionnaires. Only five declined to take part in the study. The mean MDAS for patients attending the two emergency dental clinics was 14.09 (SD 6.04) and 41.9% of patients were classified as dentally anxious (MDAS >15). A preference for treatment under sedation was expressed by 56.3%, of all patients, of whom 50.5% were classified as ASA 1 (without health problems) and would have been suitable for sedation in primary dental care.

Conclusions

The reported dental anxiety levels of patients attending the two emergency dental clinics were found to be much higher than those found by previous studies in general dental practice and at dental school emergency clinics. There was a high expressed demand for treatment under sedation. Further studies are needed to assess the levels of dental anxiety seen at other dental emergency clinics and a health needs assessment to determine need as opposed to expressed demand.