Comparative study on the degree of dental anxiety among adolescents/ young adults versus middle-aged/ senior adults

Abstract

Introduction: Dental anxiety is one of the most common diseases present in the global population. It induces aversion to dental procedures by causing a psychological response which misinterprets a dental stimulus as imminent danger. The purpose of this study was to analyze the degree of dental anxiety based on age groups, gender, background, but also on previous experiences, through a questionnaire distributed in different areas of Romania. Materials and methods: A series of 14 questions relevant to the subjects was compiled in a questionnaire which was distributed to subjects of varying backgrounds. The questionnaire was formatted to allow the relevant drawing of conclusions from the collected data. Results: 413 people responded to the questionnaire, of which 126 were women, 287 were men, 165 were from rural areas, and 248 were from urban areas. The age groups were divided in the following way: 35years, included adolescents/young adults, and >=35 years, included middle-aged adults/seniors. Conclusions: It has been found that adolescents and young adults are more anxious than middle-aged adults and seniors, and that previous unpleasant experiences have left their mark on the patients’ anxiety levels before the visit to the dentist. Keywords: dental anxiety, dental fear, young adults