Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale Research Articles

Usefulness of two psychometric scales in Swedish patients with severe dental fear.

Dental fears and other fears were assessed in 67 patients with dental fear with the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS), the Geer Fear Scale (GFS), and a behavioral dentist's rating scale (DR). Patients were selected because of extreme initial dental fear (n = 20), favorable response to treatment for dental fear (n = 23). CDAS change paralleled behavioral change (DR), supporting the usefulness of CDAS in assessing dental fear. GFS scores did not change in either group but were higher among patients who did not respond to treatment for dental fear; these findings are discussed in terms of treatment outcome prediction and treatment specificity.

Dental Fear and Avoidance: A Comparison of Two Modes of Treatment

Ninety-nine individuals, all of whom had long avoided dental treatment due to severe dental fear, received therapy according to one of two treatment modalities--behavioral therapy from a psychologist (BT) and treatment under general anesthesia (GA)--both of which were followed by clinical training and dental test treatments. These treatment programs were followed by referring the individuals to community dental clinics for complete oral rehabilitation. Among BT patients, significantly more (92%) completed the treatment program, compared with the GA patients (69%). Complete oral rehabilitation in community dental clinics was achieved by 78 and 53%, respectively. BT patients also had a significantly lower frequency of cancellations. The reduction in dental anxiety according to the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale was substantial in both groups, but the anxiety was significantly more reduced for BT patients, who reached a level equivalent to that of average dental patients. Patients' self-reported tension and the dentists' ratings of patient behavior during treatment were also significantly more positive for the BT groups.

Correlates of dental anxiety in a university population.

The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of dental anxiety in university students. Dental anxiety was measured by means of the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale. Information about the students' dental attitudes, perceptions, and past dental experiences was collected by a written questionnaire administered to an approximately 13 percent random sample of all full-time students. The response rate was 27.3 percent (n = 846). The mean dental anxiety score for the entire study group was 8.77; mean scores for men (8.44) and women (9.10) were significantly different. Of the 18 independent variables studied, seven were found to be significantly associated with dental anxiety scores: sex, frequency of childhood visits to the dentist, childhood experience with dentists, frequency of mothers' visits to a dentist, perceived number of types of services required, symptoms as reason for last dental visit, and number of preventive actions taken prior day. As a group, the independent variables explained 22.8 percent of the observed variation in dental anxiety scores. When the amount of variation which was explained by each of the independent variables was considered separately four variables were found to be significant: childhood experience with dentists, gender, attitudes toward dentists, and number of preventive actions taken the prior day. Further studies are required to identify additional antecedents of dental anxiety in university students. These studies should focus on the ability of the antecedents to explain observed variation in anxiety levels.

Assessment of a dental anxiety scale

A number of different sets of data concerning the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale were evaluated. The data indicate that the scale is a reliable, valid, and useful measure of dental anxiety. It can be successfully used in the dental office or in research projects.

Sex differences in anxiety response and adjustment to dental surgery: effects of general vs. specific preoperative information.

Monitored anxiety level by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Corah's (1969a) dental anxiety scale and evaluated adjustment via behavioral ratings, in 32 female and 31 male dental surgery patients who were presented general or specific information prior to surgery. The findings indicated that dental surgery is a stressful procedure that elicits comparably high levels of state anxiety in males and females. For most patients, even those high in dental anxiety, state anxiety level returns to "normal" levels just after the completion of surgery. The dental anxiety scale administered well before surgery is a good predictor of patient anxiety level in the dental situation, especially for males. Females responded to an informational tape received prior to surgery with increased anxiety, and were rated as showing poorer overall adjustment in surgery than males. The general and specific information tapes did not differentially affect adjustment, but informational input and related variables such as patient expectancies and prior level of information are factors that need further investigation in terms of their potential relevance for the reduction of patient anxiety and enhancement of patient adjustment during dental procedures.