Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the dental anxiety levels of patients attending the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic in a dental faculty and to evaluate the associated factors that might be related to the dental anxiety. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Questionnaires were applied to patients attending the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University between February 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014 (n=1165). The questionnaire included a Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and questions that might be related with dental anxiety. Participants whose MDAS score value was ≥19 were considered as highly anxious. Data which also included the participants' demographic values were transferred to a statistical software and the results were examined through descriptive methods. Results: High dental anxiety level among patients participated in the study amounted to a rate of 14.1%. Dental anxiety was not related to age, marital status, educational level, firsttime-dental visit-age, number of lacking teeth, and reason of the dental visit (p>0.05). However, the indicators gender, previous traumatic experience and dental visit frequency were significantly related to dental anxiety (p<0.05). The results of the present study showed that dental anxiety before oral surgical procedures is still prevalent despite technical, pharmacological and surgical advances in dentistry. Implementation of anxiety identification/reducing procedures in the oral surgery practice is of great importance to increase patient comfort and optimize surgical circumstances. The results of the present study showed that dental anxiety before oral surgical procedures is still prevalent despite technical, pharmacological and surgical advances in dentistry. Implementation of anxiety identification/reducing procedures in the oral surgery practice is of great importance to increase patient comfort and optimize surgical circumstances.

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