ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title Dental Anxiety in Adult and Child Population is Positively Correlated with Tooth Decay
Clinical Question Do people with dental anxiety have a greater number of decayed, restored, or missing tooth surfaces throughout their life compared to the general population.
Clinical Bottom Line When compared to the general population, individuals with dental anxiety tend to have more decayed, missing, or restored teeth throughout their life.
Best Evidence (you may view more info by clicking on the PubMed ID link)
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
#1) 19508269Thomson/2009828 individuals over timeProspective Cohort Study
Key resultsMost sufferers of continual dental anxiety, from childhood and adolescence into adulthood showed a mix of caries/ occlusal trauma and anxiety inducing personality factors.
#2) 20156266 Esa/2010407 antenatal mothersProspective Cohort Study
Key resultsThe study shows a positive correlation of dental decay and dental anxiety in antenatal mothers.
#3) 23732827Olak/2013Cross sectional group of 344 childrenProspective Cohort Study
Key resultsChildren's fears were strongly associated with untreated caries and experience of dental treatment.
Evidence Search Dental Anxiety Tooth Decay
Comments on
The Evidence
Validity: Study by Thompson: A longitudal study of a birth cohort of 828 participants. The dental caries experience at 5 years was a predictor for those who maintained dental anxiety in adulthood (p<.05). Those who developed their dental anxiety in their adolescence also showed a higher experience of caries at age 15 (p<.05). Study by Esa 2010: 407 participated in the study. The mean score for dental fear in the group was 35.1 (p<.05). The mean DMFS score was 10.8 (p< .05). This study showed a positive correlation of .3 between dental anxiety and dental decay experience. Study by Olak 2013: The study involved 344 8-10 year old school children. Using the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule, the proportion of children with dental fear was found to be 6.1%. noninvasive fear was found to be higher in younger as opposed to older students (p<.02). Children with DMFT scores greater than 0 had higher fear scores that children who had a DMFT score of 0 (p<.01). This study also showed a stronh link between dental fear of parents and their children (p<.01) Perspective: In Olak 2013 the population used was cross sectional. This allows diversity in socioeconomic status and other cultural and social factors, thus, its findings will be more easily generalized to other demographics. Additionally in Olak 2013 we find that parents greatly influence the onset of dental anxiety. In Thomas 2009, a prospective study, the use of a longitudinal form provides a broader understanding of dental anxiety affects people over time.
Applicability Knowing that the onset of dental anxiety typically occurs in childhood will provide dentists a window of opportunity to prevent or reduce its effects, thus reducing decay and consequently improving the oral health of the afflicted individuals.
Specialty/Discipline (Public Health) (Endodontics) (General Dentistry) (Orthodontics) (Pediatric Dentistry) (Restorative Dentistry) (Dental Hygiene) (Behavioral Science)
Keywords Dental anxiety, Dental fear.
ID# 2699
Date of submission: 04/01/2014spacer
E-mail fischbuch@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author Scott Fischbuch
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author John P. Hatch, PhD
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail hatch@uthscsa.edu
Basic Science Rationale
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