Ansiedade e Fobia Dentária – Avaliação Psicométrica num Estudo Transversal

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental anxiety in patients of Dental Medicine Clinics of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University Fernando Pessoa, in order to make a contribution to the understanding of the etiological factors that may eventually lead to this pathological disorder. Materials and MethodsA sample of 150 patients, 15 to 64 years old, attending the clinics between the months of January till March, 2007, was built nonprobabilistically by quotas – gender and age groups – based on the last Portuguese general census data, 2001. Anxiety and phobia assessment was performed using scales to measure anxiety and dental phobia: Modified Dental Dental Fear (MDAS) and Anxiety Scale Survey (DFS) – Portuguese versions, applied with a questionnaire that also contained a socio economic classification (Graffard Classification). ResultsAs most relevant results, among the 150 patients, 28.7% are “very anxious or phobic”, and 24% are “anxious”. Generally, DFS shows higher levels of anxiety than the ones identified by MDAS. ConclusionsMost patients classified as “very anxious” assumed to have been the target of previous trauma experience (22%), “sometimes or often” miss consultations (17%) and only recur to dental treatments “when in pain” (20%). These patients said to have postponed and missed consultations because of fear, and that felt greater panic facing needle and drill stimuli.