Is dental treatment experience related to dental anxiety? A cross-sectional study in Lithuanian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE The study aimed to estimate the relationship between dental anxiety and past dental treatment experience in Lithuanian adolescents and to examine a possible influence of gender and area deprivation on dental anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 885 adolescents in 22 randomly pre-selected areas were clinically examined and completed a questionnaire regarding dental anxiety. Dental anxiety was estimated using the Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Past invasive dental treatment experience was defined as the number of extracted and filled teeth. RESULTS The total mean (SD) score of the DAS was 10.07 (3.20). High levels of dental anxiety were reported in 11.3% of Lithuanian adolescents. The mean (SD) DAS score among adolescents who had no treatment experience was 9.51 (3.02), whereas adolescents who had treatment experience, had significantly higher mean (SD) DAS score, i.e. 10.25 (SD 3.23). CONCLUSIONS The past dental treatment experience and dental anxiety were related in Lithuanian adolescents. Adolescents with no past invasive dental treatment experience were less anxious than those who had such experience. Girls reported higher dental anxiety than boys, while area deprivation had no effect on dental anxiety.

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