Negative events and their potential risk of precipitating pathological forms of dental anxiety

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to assess which types of experiences are most closely associated with pathological forms of dental anxiety. Data came from a sample of dental patients ( n = 1462). Pathological dental anxiety was operationalized in two ways: (1) a score of ≥36 on the Sho...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of anxiety disorders 2009-05, Vol.23 (4), p.451-457
Main Authors: Oosterink, F.M.D, de Jongh, A, Aartman, I.H.A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aetiology of anxiety disorders
Affect
Anxiety disorders. Neuroses
Biological and medical sciences
Dental anxiety
Dental Anxiety - diagnosis
Dental Anxiety - epidemiology
Dental Anxiety - psychology
Dental phobia
Dental treatment
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Female
Helplessness
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Medical sciences
Negative events
Phobias
Phobic Disorders - diagnosis
Phobic Disorders - epidemiology
Phobic Disorders - psychology
Predictive Value of Tests
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Severity of Illness Index
Specific phobia
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trauma exposure
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract The purpose of the present study was to assess which types of experiences are most closely associated with pathological forms of dental anxiety. Data came from a sample of dental patients ( n = 1462). Pathological dental anxiety was operationalized in two ways: (1) a score of ≥36 on the Short form of the Dental Anxiety Inventory (S-DAI; high dental anxiety, HDA), or (2) fulfilling the screening criteria of specific phobia (DSM-IV-TR; dental phobia, DP). A wide variety of dental experiences appeared to be significantly related with both HDA and DP, while general traumatic experiences were not. No differences were found between women and men. Retrospective accounts of dental experiences involving helplessness were most strongly associated with having HDA [OR = 8.2] and positive screens of DP [OR = 16.2]. The results suggest that disruptive emotional and interoceptive reactions during dental treatment (particularly helplessness) have the greatest potential risk of precipitating pathological forms of dental anxiety.
ISSN:0887-6185
1873-7897
DOI:10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.09.002