DENTAL ANXIETY AMONG CHILDREN AGED 5 TO 15 YEARS VISITING A TEACHING DENTAL HOSPITAL IN ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the levels of dental anxiety among children aged 5 to 15 years who are seeking dental services at a teaching dental hospital.Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 children aged 5 to 15 years in the Dentistry section, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad. The study duration was from May 2023 to August 2023. An assessment of children's dental anxiety was conducted using the pre-validated “Modifi ed Dental Anxiety Scale” (MDAS).Results: A study involving 200 children aimed to assess dental anxiety levels. Within this group, 105 (52.5%) were male, while 95 (47.5%) were female. Only 15 (7.5%) of the children exhibited no anxiety, 40 (20%) displayed mild anxiety, and 56 (28%) showed moderate anxiety. The majority of the patients, numbering 55 (27.5%), experienced high levels of anxiety, while 34 (17%) were classified as extremely anxious. In addition, 105 patients were male having a mean dental anxiety score of 3.14 with a standard deviation of 1.26, whereas 95 patients were female having a mean dental anxiety score of 3.46 with a standard deviation of 1.07. The mean dental anxiety score according to age is 3.30 with a standard deviation of 0.084. The P-value is constant at 0.001.Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight dental anxiety among young individuals in the local community as a potential public health concern. Conducting proactive assessments of dental anxiety is crucial for the early identifi cation and eff ective treatment of individuals experiencing anxiety related to dental care.