Cultural normative beliefs in the U.S. as a determinant of negative dental experiences and dental anxiety: a preliminary investigation

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2024-11, Vol.43 (43), p.33528-33540
• Main Authors: Geers, Andrew L., Seligman, Laura D., Pituch, Keenan A., Clemens, Kelly S., Francis, Sarah, Kramer, Lauren, Spotts, Emily K., Vang, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Dental insurance; Oral hygiene; Psychology; Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-06879-5

Dental anxiety, a predictor of both dental treatment avoidance and health outcomes, has been linked with early negative dental experiences. The causes of this relationship remain largely unexplored. This study provides a preliminary exploration of within-cultural variations of dental normative beliefs on the perception of negative dental experiences and the subsequent experience of dental anxiety in the U.S. A sample of 190 U.S. adults recruited from Amazon’s MTurk completed measures of cultural normative beliefs about oral health care, age and fear at first dental visit, history of negative dental experiences, and dental anxiety. Factor analysis yielded support for a three-factor model (daily maintenance, regular check-up, and dental treatment) of the dental cultural normative beliefs scale. Correlations and structural equation modeling found support for a previously posited theoretical model in which negative dental experiences and fear at first dental visit mediate associations between the cultural normative beliefs and dental anxiety. Most notably, cultural normative beliefs favoring a prevention orientation to dental treatment and daily maintenance of oral health predicted less fear at the first dentist visit, which in turn, related to fewer negative dental experiences and less dental anxiety. This preliminary survey suggests that dental cultural normative beliefs within the U.S. shape fear during initial dental visits. Future research should build on this initial work and explore between-cultural norm variations as well as strategies for changing cultural normative beliefs to improve perceptions of dental experiences and lessen dental anxiety.