| Authors | Study Population | Aim of the Study | Methods, Used Tests | Comorbid Phobias | Comorbid Psychiatric Symptoms | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berggren [38] 1992, Berggren [39] et al. 1995 | Adult patients of Dental Fear Research and Treatment Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, n=109 | To investigate the presence, levels and relationships between general fears and specific dental fears. | ● DAS ● DFS ● FSS-II and some additional items (phobias) |
The correlation was significant between - DAS and FSS-II (rp=0.35) - DAS and GFS (rp=0.42) - DFS and FSS-II (rp=0.37) - DFS and GFS (rp=0.41) |
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| Hakeberg [36] et al. 2001 | Patients of Dental Fear Research and Treatment Clinic, Gothenburg, Sweden. Adult patients, n=220 | To explore the structural relationship between dental anxiety, mood, and general anxiety symptoms | ● DAS ● DFS ● DBS ● STAI-S, STAI-T and GFS (anxiety) ● MACL (mood) |
The association was significant between severe dental anxiety and mood (β=0.46), and between severe dental anxiety and general anxiety (β=0.17). | The study used the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)53,54 approach. | |
| Kaakko [35] et al. 1998 | Employees of University of Washington, USA, n=350. Participants scoring ≥13 in the DAS were considered to be dentally anxious | To determine the extent and nature of fears in the population | ● DAS ● Four six-point questions adapted from SF-36 Health Survey [55] (Mental health score, anxiety and depression-related symptoms). |
● Fearful respondents reported high proportion of anxiety and depression. ● The correlation between mental health score and DAS was significant (r=0.17, p=0.006). |
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| Moore [31] et al.1995 | Dental Phobia Research and treatment center patients, Denmark, n=80 | To examine dentally phobic patients by psychometric testing and clinical interviews | ● STAI-T ● GFS (modified) ● MACL ● Clinical interviews |
● Social phobia 46% ● Specific phobia 19% ● Multiple phobia 28% |
GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) 38% | |
| Pekkan [37] et al. 2011 | Patients of Dumlupinar University Hospital Dental Clinic, Turkey, n=250 | To investigate the relationship between dental anxiety, depression, and general anxiety level and their differences among genders | ● MDAS ● BAI ● BDI |
● The correlation was significant between mean scores of MDAS and BDI (r=0.148, p=0.019) and BAI mean scores (r=0.273, p<0.01). ● When the cut-off point of the MDAS was taken as 19, there was a significant correlation between MDAS and BAI, but not with BDI ● When the cut-off point was taken as 15, there was significant correlation between MDAS and both BAI and BDI. |
19 pts (out of maximum of 25 pts) or more in the MDAS test is widely considered to mean that a patient is dentally anxious. | |
| Roy-Byrne [12] et al. 1994 | Patients of University of Washington Dental Fears Research clinic, USA, n=73. Patients were divided into different groups | To study diagnostic and psychopathological characters of subjects with dental phobia | ● DFS ● Clinical interviews |
● 60% of the patients had current simple phobia as the only diagnosis. ● 45% of the patients had at least one additional simple phobia BESIDES dental phobia: - flying 20% - heights 20% - enclosed spaces 10% - animals 10% - blood 4% - any 45% |
● 29 of the 73 patients had additional current DSM-III Axis I diagnosis: -anxiety 20% -mood 16% -substance abuse 4% ● A total of 68% of patients had lifetime (current & past) Axis I diagnosis. ● 61% had at least one Axis II personality disorder and 35% more than one diagnosis. |
In patients with simple phobia, the subgroup of patients with additional current Axis I diagnosis had a higher proportion of Axis II diagnoses (86% vs. 45%). |
| Tellez [13] et al. 2015 | Patients scheduled for dental appointment at Temple University dental clinic, Philadelphia, USA, n=120 | To examine the association between dental anxiety and pain and other psychological variables | ● Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule DSM-IV56 ● MDAS ● the 5-iten subscale of FQ-BII57 ● SAAS |
Dental anxiety was positively correlated with BII fears (r=0.47, P<0.001). | Dental anxiety was positively correlated with social appearance anxiety (r=0.39, P<0.001). | Dental anxiety was positively correlated with pain experienced at the last dental appointment (P<0.001). |