The prevalence of Dental Anxiety among UAE college-populations

Background: Dental anxiety remains insidious obstacle to dental treatment for many people. Individuals with the highest levels of dental anxiety are reported to have the greatest avoidance of dental treatment. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dental anxiety and to examine the socio-demographic associations of dental anxiety among a representative sample of UAE college-populations.

Methods: all colleges' students of Sharjah Universities in the UAE were invited to take part in this cross sectional study. The questionnaire included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), as well as further questions concerning dental attendance and nervousness about dental procedures in addition to questions in which respondents rate attributions for their anxiety.

Results: Four hundred participants completed the questionnaires (47% males and 53% females). The prevalence of dental anxiety (MDAS score of 13 or more) in the sample was 36%, with overall severity represented by a mean score of 11.52 (SD:4.88). Students who visited their dentist more than two years ago had significantly higher MDAS scores compared to those who visited their dentist less than two years ago (t test, p=0.02). Compared to female students, a significantly higher proportion of males indicated that their last visit to the dentist was more than 2 years ago (17% vs. 30%, respectively, Chi-square test, p=0.002). In addition, more than half of the students (55%) perceived a need for a check up and 54% indicated that they visited the dentist because of problems with their teeth.

Conclusions: This study has provided data on dental anxiety among UAE college- populations. The associations identified suggest that dental anxiety may have far-reaching consequences, not only for perceived oral health and its impact among the population, but also for the way in which they interact with dental services.

Funded by the University of Sharjah # 060502