Assessment of dental fear and anxiety among adolescent females in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Anxiety is defined as a state of uneasiness and distress about future uncertainties. Fear is defined as a feeling of alarm or disquiet caused by the expectation of danger, pain, disaster or the like. In one study, fear of the dentist has been ranked fourth among common fears. Dental fear has been also reported as one of the most important reasons for avoidance and neglect of regular dental care. Neglect of dental care may lead to dental decay and pain that usually results in a visit to the dentist which in turn increases the patient's original dental fear and thereby completing a vicious circle. Non-anxious adolescents have been shown to have lower caries severity and lower caries incidence than adolescents who were dentally anxious. Anxious patients present problems not only to themselves but to their dentists as well, as they tend to be uncooperative during their visits, frequently cancel appointments, and due to their anxiety and fear develop a lower pain threshold. More time may be required for anxious patients than many dentists are willing to spend. These anxieties or fears usually result from direct experience and conditioning, or vicariously through information, such as that often provided by siblings or parents. 1