How Dental Anxiety Hides in Plain Sight
Patients with severe dental anxiety often mask their fears while hoping dental staff will notice. A new Swedish study reveals this disconnect and offers a simple solution.
Dental professionals often struggle to spot patients with severe dental anxiety, especially when patients go out of their way to hide it. That’s the key finding from a new thesis presented at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, which includes four studies exploring how dental fear is perceived by both patients and providers.
In one study of 1,128 patients, clinicians were asked to rate patient anxiety after an exam. While staff assessments aligned well for patients with low anxiety, they significantly underestimated those with high levels of fear. Surprisingly, it was the most anxious patients who were most likely to be missed.
Patients with dental phobia often feel ashamed and avoid discussing their fears, yet still hope clinicians will intuitively understand. To bridge this gap, researchers validated a Swedish version of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), a brief, five-question tool that can be filled out in the waiting room.
The researchers believe MDAS can improve communication and help dental teams provide better support to anxious patients; ultimately, making dentistry more comfortable and accessible for all. Click here to read more.
