Abstract

ARRIETA VERGARA, Katherine; DIAZ CARDENAS, Shyrley; VERBEL BOHORQUEZ, Johana  and  HAWASLY PASTRANA, Nathalie. Factors associated with clinical symptomatology of fear and anxiety in dental patients. Rev Clin Med Fam [online]. 2013, vol.6, n.1, pp.17-24. ISSN 2386-8201.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1699-695X2013000100004.

Objective: Estimate the degree of association between factors associated with clinical symptomatology of fear and anxiety in adult patients at the Faculty of Dentistry of the university of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). Design: Cross sectional observational study. Location: Faculty of Dentistry of the university of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). Participants: 460 adult patients selected by simple random sampling. Main Surveyed Data: An instrument which included socio-demographic and behavioural factors was used and a screening questionnaire: Goldberg scale, Kleinknecht's Dental Fear Survey (DFS) and Short Version Dental Anxiety Scale (SDAI). Data were analysed based on proportions, assuming a 95% confidence interval, odds ratio and logistic regression, using the STATA programme version 10.0 ^®. Results: The prevalence of clinical symptomatology of fear and dental anxiety was 77.1% (IC 95% 73.3-81) and 62.8% (IC 95% 58.3-67.2) respectively. Statistically significant dental fear associated with the female sex was recorded (OR=1.9; IC95% 1.2-2.9) and previous traumatic experience in the dental surgery (OR=3.2; IC95% 1.73-6.28) and anxiety in the dental surgery with the female sex (OR=2; IC95% 1.3-2.9), previous traumatic experience in the dental surgery (OR=2.2; IC95% 1.4-3.6), negative influence from members of the family (OR=1.5; IC95% 1.07-2.2), patient's perception of dental health (OR= 1.5; IC95% 1.04-2.2), and fear in the dental surgery (OR=39.8 IC95% 19.2- 82.5). Conclusions: Prevalence of dental fear and anxiety in the subjects was high; the female sex,  negative influence from members of the family and previous traumatic experiences in the dental surgery are risk factors causing fear and anxiety in the dental surgery

Keywords : Dental treatment anxiety; Fear; Dentistry.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )