ANXIETY AND PERSONALITY IN DENTAL PRACTICE

Abstract

Aims: Dental anxiety as a barrier in dental practice impacts on dental attendance patterns and respectively on dental health. Observation on age-specific characteristics, personality types and dental anxiety of dental patients gives the opportunity for patient behavior to be more comprehensively studied, as dentist-patient communication is improved. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of anxietypersonality and the impact of personality type and dental anxiety on dental attendance patterns.

Methods: In 2015 a total of 250 questionnaires were distributed (response rate 92.4%, n=231) among randomly selected male and female patients in six dental surgeries, who were divided into 4 age groups according to Havighusts age classification (18-29: n=41 (17.7%); 30-39:n=65 (28.1%); 40-59: n= 87 (37.7%) and over 60 years old : n=38 (16.4%)) administered questionnaires consisting of Eysencks Personality Test, Corah Dental anxiety Scale and an item about attendance patterns. The study included only those participants who gave informed consent. Descriptive test, statistical analysis and Pearsons correlation coefficient were used to search for statistically significant correlations. Results: 140 (61%) subjects showed low levels of dental anxiety, 65 (28%)-moderate DA, 14 (6%)-high DA and 12 (5%)-severe DA. The analysis showed a weak negative correlation between dental anxiety and extraversion (p = -0.154) as dental anxiety and neuroticism (p = -0.021) among males. Female results for these two conditions showed a weak positive correlation, respectively p = 0.086 and p = 0.236. The analysis showed there was a moderate correlation between dental anxiety and attendance patterns in the age groups 18-29 and over 60. There was a sex difference in that dependency-weak positive correlation about males (R = 0.160) and significant positive correlation about females (R = 0.438).

Conclusion: The study showed that dental anxiety is a multi-dimensional phenomenon associated with age, sex and personality characteristics. Comprehensive knowledge of psychological aspects in dental practice can be helpful for both patient and dentist.