Dental anxiety in a sample of West Indian adults / Ansiedad dental en una muestra de adultos de West Indies

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of dental anxiety and its possible causes among people in Trinidad and Tobago. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional survey of parents and guardians accompanying children who were attending a paediatric dental clinic. Participants completed a questionnaire while in the waiting room, which included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), age, gender and occupation. An additional item was included which asked participants to rate the anxiety felt on having a tooth extracted. RESULTS: There were 100participants (81% female). Overall, 40% of participants reported moderate to severe anxiety. Twenty-three per cent of participants had moderate anxiety (MDAS 15-18) and 17% had severe anxiety/phobia (MDAS 19-20). Level of anxiety was related to gender (multiple linear regression, p < 0.05). Proportions of participants were very/extremely anxious of having a tooth drilled (48%), local anaesthetic injection (53%) and extraction (52%). Thirty-six per cent of participants had avoided dental treatment in the past because they were too anxious. CONCLUSION: High levels of dental anxiety were found in this sample of Trinidadian adults. The MDAS was able to detect significant elements of that anxiety. The addition of a question on extraction revealed that this procedure may contribute substantially in anxiety toward dental treatment in the Caribbean.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el nivel de ansiedad dental y sus posibles causas entre las personas en Trinidad y Tobago. MÉTODO: Éste es un estudio transversal de padres y guardianes que acompañan a los niños que asistían a una clínica dental pediátrica. Los participantes llenaron un cuestionario mientras se hallaban en la sala de espera. El cuestionario incluía la Escala de Ansiedad Dental Modificada (EADM), edad, género y ocupación. Se incluyó un punto adicional que pedía a los participantes que clasificaran la ansiedad que sentían por la extracción de un diente. RESULTADOS: Había 100 participantes (81% hembra). En general, el 40% de los participantes reportó sentir una ansiedad de moderada a severa. El veintitrés por ciento de los participantes tenía una ansiedad moderada (EADM 15-18) y el 17% tenían ansiedad severa/fobia (EADM 19-20). El nivel de ansiedad guardaba relación con el género (regresión logística múltiple p < 0.05). Muchos participantes estaban muy/extremadamente ansiosos por tener un diente bajo la fresa dental (48%), una inyección con anestésico local (53%) y una extracción (52%). Treinta y seis por ciento de los participantes habían evitado el tratamiento dental en el pasado porque se sentían demasiado ansiosos. CONCLUSIÓN: Se encontraron niveles altos de ansiedad dental en esta muestra de adultos trinitenses. La EADM pudo detectar elementos significativos de esa ansiedad. Al añadirse una pregunta sobre extracción, se puso de manifiesto que este procedimiento puede contribuir substancialmente al problema de la ansiedad hacia el tratamiento dental en el Caribe.

A comparison between audio and audiovisual distraction techniques in managing anxious pediatric dental patients.

Pain is not the sole reason for fear of dentistry. Anxiety or the fear of unknown during dental treatment is a major factor and it has been the major concern for dentists for a long time. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the two distraction techniques, viz, audio distraction and audiovisual distraction, in management of anxious pediatric dental patients. Sixty children aged between 4-8 years were divided into three groups. Each child had four dental visits--screening visit, prophylaxis visit, cavity preparation and restoration visit, and extraction visit. Child's anxiety level in each visit was assessed using a combination of four measures: Venham's picture test, Venham's rating of clinical anxiety, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation. The values obtained were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. It was concluded that audiovisual distraction technique was more effective in managing anxious pediatric dental patient as compared to audio distraction technique.

A study of behaviour patterns of normal children in a dental situation and its relationship with socioeconomic status, family type and sibling position.

Different psychosocial variables, such as socioeconomic status, family type and sibling position may be considered to be of great significance as it may influence child behaviour pattern in a dental treatment situation. 143 children in the age group of 3-14 years were selected randomly from the out patient department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dental Wing, S. C. B. Medical College, Cuttack with an aim of assessing relationship, if any, between the magnitude of behaviour and the above mentioned psychosocial variables. Behaviour rating was done using Frankl behaviour rating scale. The results of the study reveals no significant relationship between socio economic status, family type and sibling position with child behaviour pattern, but a trend has been observed that children of high socio economic back ground behave more positively, children of a nuclear family exhibit more negative attitude and middle siblings show less negative behaviour than youngest and eldest.