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Dental anxiety leads to poor oral health
A recent study at University of Otago has found that people with anxious personalities are more likely to have poor oral health. This study looked at more than 1000 people aged between 15 to 32 and found around a quarter of them were dentally anxious. They were so scared of visiting a dentist or having dental procedures that they would avoid the dentist altogether -until the problem became really serious.
Those who were dentally anxious were split into three groups. The stable anxious group of people had more tooth decay at age five and early experience of dentists. Those who became anxious as an adult had lost teeth between the age of 26 and 32 and the adolescent anxious group had experienced more tooth decay from the age 15.
Researchers found that these anxious groups tended to have the glass-half-empty personality type and were anxious about other things, such as heights. Some in this group were also anxious due to really bad past dental experiences.
Professor Murray Thomson, who led the research team, said usually these people had become more anxious through a vicious cycle of avoiding the dentist to the point their dental condition became much worse. As a result, these people end up with more tooth decay and more missing teeth than those who are not anxious.
The study also identified a 'recovery' group, where some people who had been anxious at age 15 had ceased to be anxious by the age of 32. Researchers are interested to do more work in this area to find out what makes them less anxious.
Professor Thompson said the study had implications for both the dental profession and the public. This gives dental profession a good understanding of the causes of anxiety and for the public it was useful to know that by being least resistant to anxiety and avoiding dental care they will be worse off in the end.
09 November 2009
University of Otago
Further Information
Professor Murray Thomson
Tel 64 3 479 7116
Jo Galer
Senior Communications Adviser
University of Otago
Tel 64 3 4798263
Mob 021 279 8263