Dental anxiety among Israeli postgraduate pediatric dental students and their instructors

Objective: To measure the dental anxiety levels of post-graduate pediatric dental students (PGS) and their instructors, and their ranking of the most anxiety provoking situations in the dental situation; to investigate gender differences with regard to dental anxiety. Study design: Twenty-four PGS and 31 of their instructors completed a three-section questionnaire on socio demographic information, dental anxiety scale (DAS) and dental fear survey (DFS). Results: The overall mean DAS and DFS scores were similar for both groups. The scores of the PGS were significantly higher on the DFS for perspiration when dental work was done (p = 0.032), the smell of the dentist's office (p = 0.009), and seeing the dentist enter the treatment room (p = 0.005). The total DAS score was significantly higher among females than among males (8.03 ± 3.08 and 6.63 ± 1.77, p = 0.037), and for item on waiting for the dentist to scrape the teeth, (p = 0.05). The DAS and DFS scores were strongly correlated (r = 0.768, p = 0.000). The highest DAS score was for the item on anticipation of dental treatment before arrival to the clinic and waiting for the drilling. The response pattern for both groups was similar. Conclusions: Overall dental anxiety of PGS and their instructors was similar. Female PGS and instructors had higher dental anxiety levels than males.