Fear across Specific Dental Procedures

Objectives: Dentists frequently encounter patient fear and anxiety. While general dental fear has been a focus in the literature, fear related to specific procedures has been relatively neglected. Patients' prior experience with certain procedures also is an unknown influence on dental fear. It was expected that fear would differ across procedures, and that prior experience would mediate that fear. Methods: There were 280 surveys completed by patients of eight rural and urban dental offices in southern and central West Virginia. The subject sample was 60% female; average age was 42.6 years. There were 11 different dental procedures assessed, including dental exam, radiograph, injection, prophylaxis, drilling and restoration, extraction, endodontics, orthodontics, crown/bridge, implant, and dentures. The survey included questions regarding patients' dental experiences in relation to their overall dental fear. Results: Patients' dental fears varied significantly across procedures. The most fear-evoking procedures were root canals and extractions. The least fearful were radiographs, cleanings, and checkups. It also was found that those with less overall dental fear had a higher frequency of dental visits. Contrary to expectations, having prior personal experience with more stressful procedures (e.g., endodontics) was not associated with less fear about that procedure. Conclusion: Findings suggest the importance of assessing fear that is specific to dental procedures, in addition to overall dental fear. The role of prior experience with certain procedures should be further explored.