Patient’s Fear and Anxiety Related to Dental Radiography at the Radiology Clinic, Western University
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fear and anxiety have been linked to behaviors related to the avoidance of dental visits, which may lead to impaired oral health and poor oral health-related quality of life. Intraoral radiography, which is often the first procedure patients receive after oral examination, could impact such fear and anxiety.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the severity and prevalence of dental fear and anxiety from intraoral radiography and its influencing factors.
METHODS: Data were collected between 7 January and 28 February 2025 via a questionnaire consisting of 3 parts, including part I for general information, part II concerning past experience (5-level Likert scale), pain, dental fear and anxiety (visual analog scale), regarding intraoral radiography, and part III concerning the number of images taken and time consumed. All independent variables were examined for their effects on patients’ fear and anxiety related to dental radiography via multiple linear regression at a confidence level of 95%.
RESULTS: The samples included 110 patients, consisting of 33 males (30%) and 77 females (70%). Pain during intraoral radiography was at 2.2±2.5 points. Dental fear and anxiety, regarding intraoral radiography, was at 0.8±1.8 points. Pain was the only positive influencing factor to dental fear and anxiety (p=0.015).
CONCLUSIONS: Pain had a statistically significant influence on dental fear and anxiety. Training to achieve non-traumatic radiographic skill is crucial to decrease patients’ fear and anxiety for better acceptance of subsequent treatments.
Thaiclinicaltrials.org number, TCTR20250731016
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