Among some of the challenges that we have to deal with as Dental professionals when providing treatment to patients, dental anxiety is a big part. Patients who experience anxiety during dental appointments may have difficulty sitting in the dental chair for specific periods and complying with instructions. In addition, they are less likely to come in consistently for dental cleanings. Some of these patients only come into dental offices when in pain. As a result, providing proper dental care is more complicated. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to manage these patients.
This case-control study design aimed to investigate the frequency of dental anxiety, the factors affecting dental anxiety, and the effects of dental anxiety on the oral dental health of the participants. This study used 342 patients attending a tertiary dentistry hospital outpatient clinic. These patients were observed for three months to see what patients were more likely to demonstrate dental anxiety and its factors. The results showed that 42.1% of the participants feared the dentist, and 56.4% had a history of painful dental experiences. Furthermore, women older than 40 years old, married, and with insufficient income are more likely to experience dental anxiety.
