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Background: Identifying the risk indicators of parental dental anxiety (PDA) and oral health literacy (OHL) can help oral healthcare professionals recognise challenges in this field. Armed with the appropriate information, they can effectively engage with parents to build trust and promote early and regular child dental visits. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between PDA and OHL with the sociobehavioural characteristics of families, self-reported child oral health (presence of ≥ 1 untreated decayed teeth) and the dental visit patterns amongst children living in Al Jouf Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and methods: A total of 430 parents with children aged ≥ 14 years were invited using a systematic random sampling method. PDA was assessed using the Dental Anxiety Scale-Revised (DAS-R) scale, and parents' OHL was measured using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (REALD-30). The relationships amongst participant characteristics, PDA and OHL were evaluated through the Chi-square and ANOVA. Additionally, binary regression analysis was conducted to identify predictor variables associated with PDA and OHL. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Children with ≥ 1 untreated decayed tooth were 2.5 times more likely to have PDA (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37, 4.37). Children who visited the dentist in < 6 months had 93% lower likelihood to have PDA (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.07; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.18). Parents aged 20–25 years were 81% less likely to have OHL than those above 30 years (AOR = 0.19; P = 0.038). Similarly, parents with medium family income were 52% less likely to have OHL than the high-income group (AOR = 0.48; P = 0.013). Finally, parents of children who visited the dentist within < 6 months were 34 times more likely to have OHL than those whose children visited the dentist > 12 months ago (AOR = 34.94; P < 0.001). Conclusion: PDA and OHL were significantly affected by parental age, family income, the presence of ≥ 1 untreated decaying tooth and the child dental visit patterns. During a child's first dental visit, paediatric dentists should always assess the PDA, OHL and sociobehavioural characteristics of a family by using appropriate scales and semistructured interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of study was to investigate dental anxiety (DA) and its relationship with oral health problems, dental visits, and socio-demographic factors among physicians. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on physicians working in Dhahran, Khobar, Dammam, and Qatif cities of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study included physicians (general practitioners, residents, specialists, and consultants) working in the public and private sectors. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and World Health Organization's Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults were used to evaluate DA, oral health problems, and dental attendance. Results: The study included data from 355 participants with a mean age of 40.13 ± 10.45 years. There were 57.2% of non-Saudi and 42.8% of Saudi participants in the study. Bad dental experience in the previous dental visit was reported by 40% of participants, which was significantly related to DA (P = 0.002). Only 9.60% of participants had no DA, whereas 41.10% demonstrated low DA, 23.4% moderate DA, 18.9% high DA, and 7% extreme DA. Common oral problems included tooth sensitivity (65.40%), tooth cavities (45.90%), bleeding gums (43.10%), and bad breath (36.90%). More than half of participants (58.3%) visited the dentist during the last year and dental pain was the most common reason for dental visits (31.3%). Saudi participants demonstrated significantly increased DA than non-Saudis (P = 0.019). DA was significantly related to tooth sensitivity (P = 0.001), tooth cavities (P = 0.002), dry mouth (P = 0.044), and bad breath (P = 0.005). The participants with difficulty in biting foods (P > 0.001) and feeling embarrassed due to the appearance of teeth (P < 0.001) demonstrated significantly higher DA. Conclusion: This sample of physicians showed a high prevalence of DA, oral problems, and dental visits due to pain. DA was significantly related to physicians' negative dental experience, tooth sensitivity, dental decay, dry mouth, and bad breath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate dental anxiety (DA) screening and management practices among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. The study also evaluated correlation between patients' self-reported DA and dentists' ratings of patients' DA. Participants and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included dentist/patient pairs (N = 279) from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The dentists responded to a questionnaire about their DA screening and management practices and they evaluated patients' DA using the visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, patients responded to the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) to measure their DA. Results: About 15.1% of dentists reported using a published scale for screening DA in dental practice and Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale and Dental Fear Survey were their main scales. However, 69.2% reported directly asking their patients about DA. The use of DA management technique was reported by 89.6% of the dentists. Approximately half of the participants (53%) reported receiving DA training in their undergraduate dentistry programs and 65.2% expressed their interest in continuing education courses related to DA. In multiple logistic regression analysis, statistically significant factors associated with DA screening practice included gender (AOR = 0.46, P = 0.037), place of work (AOR = 3.68, P = 0.039), and interest in continuing education courses (AOR = 3.21, P = 0.015). Monthly income (AOR = 0.20, P = 0.029) and directly asking patient about DA (AOR = 6.15, P = 0.025) were significant factors associated with management of patients with DA. The study also showed a significant but weak correlation between DA evaluated by the dentists and DA reported by the patients (rho = 0.185, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The present study showed a low prevalence of DA screening practices among dentists. Dentists' rating of patients' DA weakly correlated with patients' self-reported DA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dental fear is associated with the avoidance of dental visits and negative oral health outcomes. It is important to assess distribution of dental fear and preference for emergency dental treatment among adult population during COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate dental fear and emergency dental treatment among adults in COVID-19 quarantine centers in Greater Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Male and female adults (N=606) in quarantine centers for COVID-19 participated in this cross-sectional study (June–July 2020). Dental Fear Survey was used to collect data on dental fear. The participants also provided their responses about emergency dental treatment/dental attendance patterns in addition to demographic information. Results: The mean DFS score of the sample was 39.08 ± 19.47, and 23.1% of the participants were a little fearful and 22.6% were highly fearful. About 36.8% reported that they would prefer to visit a dental office in case of dental emergency mostly for dental pain and fractured tooth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 10.4% of the participants reported visiting a dentist in less than 3 months, 35.8% in less than 6 months, 52.5% between 6 and 12 months and more, and 1.3% never visited the dentist. DFS scores significantly differed among participants who visited the dentist in less than 3 months (31.86 ± 14.57), less than 6 months (37.70 ± 18.57), between 6 and 12 months and more (40.78 ± 20.23), and never visited the dentist (65.75 ± 14.74) (P < 0.001). The timing of last dental visit (P < 0.001), female gender (P 0.039), and dental pain (P < 0.001) were the significant predictors of dental fear. Conclusion: Dental fear was common among adults with a predilection for the female gender. Increased dental fear was significantly related to dental pain and reduced dental attendance. Only one-third of adults were willing to perform emergency dental visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite free health care services in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of caries in children is substantially greater in comparison to other high-income countries. Dental fear in children may be an important issue that needs attention. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the role of dental fear in predicting untreated dental caries in schoolchildren. This analytical cross-sectional study included children aged 8--10 years residing in Saudi Arabia. Dental status via oral examinations was surveyed with the WHO standardized chart and the Children Fear Survey Schedule--Dental Subscale was used to score dental fear. Descriptive, binary, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to report the findings at 5% statistical significance. Overall, there were 798 schoolchildren with an average fear score of 36. Nearly 70.4% reported fear of someone examining their mouth. About 76.9% had at least one carious tooth in their oral cavity. Children with dental fear were 1.8 times (OR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.26, 2.56) more likely to have at least one untreated carious tooth in their oral cavity than those who did not express fear during oral examinations and dental procedures. Thus, the current study concludes that fear of dentists and dental treatment procedures successfully predicts untreated carious teeth in schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The current study aims to address the patient's dental anxiety (DA) And dental fear (DF) under the treatment of a general practitioner (GP) among different parameters., Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study included 500 patients recruited from different clinics in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through a questionnaire-based form consisting of three parts; the first part was personal and demographic questions whereas the second and third parts were a modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and a dental fear survey (DFS) to measure DA and DF among patients. Spearman's correlation was used to measure the relation between DA and DF as well as Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses for analyzing the effect of each variable on DA and DF., Results: All patients fulfilled their eligibility criteria. A high percentage was found in moderate anxiety (36.8%) as well as in moderate fear (46.2%) among different anxiety and fear scales. The association between DA and DF was positively significant ( p <0.01). There was a significant effect of gender, age, education, khat use, marital status, monthly income, and type of clinic on patients' DA and DF., Conclusions: There is a positive relation between MDAS and DFS, thus the DA affects the DF. Female patients had a lower DA and DF than male patients. Furthermore, the government clinics had the highest DA and DF prevalence levels for patients. Moreover, the high school-graduated patients seem to have a high DA and DF vs other patient educational levels., Clinical Significance: It would be beneficial to include an educational training program about psychological patient management in the study curriculum as well as to be offered as a special course to newly graduated dentists. This modification will aid to improve the GPs to get rid of DA and DF patients. How to cite this article: AlDhelai TA, Al-Ahmari MM, Adawi HA, et al. Dental Anxiety and Fear among Patients in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):549-556.

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been linked to behavioral problems, but no study has assessed its relationship with dental anxiety. Therefore, this study's goal is to assess the relation between ETS and both behavioral problems and dental anxiety among children., Methods: The study sample was collected from two centres in Jeddah from October 2019 to January 2020. Inclusion criteria included healthy 5-16-year-old children having their first dental visit with no emergency complaint. The questionnaire including general information, ETS exposure, the child's anxiety using the Abeer Children Dental Anxiety Scale (ACDAS) and dental behavior using the Frankl Behavioral Rating Scale., Results: Of 500 children, 337 (67.4% response rate) responded to the questionnaire, among whom 201 (59.6%) had been exposed to passive smoking compared to 136 (40.4%) who had not. Exposed children had a statistically significantly greater tendency to develop anxiety ( p = 0.002) and demonstrate uncooperative behavior ( p = 0.006). Generalized linear mode and binary regression analyses suggested that ETS has a statistically significant effect on children's dental anxiety and behavior ( p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Children exposed to ETS demonstrated statistically significantly higher anxiety levels and uncooperative behavior in the dental clinic compared to those who were not exposed.

Aim: To investigate and compare the levels of dental anxiety (DA) in relation to khat and non-khat chewer subjects of both genders from Jazan subpopulation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess DA using the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS). A total of 352 subjects from the city of Jazan who attended dental clinics for regular treatment were recruited for this study. A questionnaire was used to collect the required information, which consisted of three parts. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated. Multiple group comparisons were analyzed using Chi-square tests using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program. p < 0.05 was considered as the significance level., Results: Among the participants, 75.6% was male, while 71.3% khat chewers, and most of them were male (91.2%). The percentage of the overall mean of MDAS was low; 40% to moderate; 38%, while sever anxiety were present in 4% only. Anxiety related to endodontic treatments represents 33.8% in both genders and 34.3% among the khat chewers, while fear was 42.1% among males and 45.4% among khat chewers. The local anesthesia injection in the gum and tooth drilling items of MDAS were represented by 36.6% for both khat and gender groups and resulted in a fairly and extremely anxious situation during dental treatments. All variables were significantly different., Conclusion: The overall DA level was low to moderate among the majority of the assessed subjects. Endodontic treatments were the first type of dental treatments for the subjects, while fear of pain was the most common cause of irregular dental visits. Significant differences were detected between khat and non-khat chewers and between genders in relation to anesthesia injection, and drilling of teeth in the MDAS items., Clinical Significance: Community programs focusing on the high DA levels caused by khat chewing might be important in order to minimize the fear of dental treatments and improve and regularize the overall dental treatments.

Aim: To test the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the Child Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) a using confirmatory factor analysis., Methods: Two convenience samples were obtained: Sample [1]: 600 boys (33%) and girls attending 4 public schools in Onizah and Sample [2] 800 girls attending 8 public schools in Buridah. The questionnaire asked the participant's age, gender, and completion of the CFSS-DS. The data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), parallel factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and goodness of fit statistics., Results: A total of 513 children in Sample [1] and 503 children in Sample [2] participated giving a valid response rate of 86% and 67%, respectively. From the EFA, 3 factors were identified and confirmed statistically using parallel factor analysis. The internal consistency of the 3 factors, Dental Fear Subscale (0.86), Hospital Fear Subscale (0.77), and Stranger Fear Subscale (0.71), was good. The CFA showed that the current EFA model was an equivalent fit to the El Housseiny et al (BMC Oral Health 2016;16:49). model; however, the solution using El Housseiny et al's structure was distorted., Conclusions: A 3-factor structure with acceptable reliability exists for this Arabic version of the CFSS-DS, confirmed by a CFA using an additional data set., (© 2019 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: Dental fear (DF) in children is a multifactorial problem that may affect the child's dental treatment and behavior at the dental office. This study aimed to evaluate the familial characteristics affecting DF among Arabic-speaking 12- to 15-year-old children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study assessing 16 middle schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was performed through multistage stratified random sampling. DF among children was measured using the children fear survey schedule-dental subscale (CFSS-DS) questionnaire. A parental questionnaire was used to collect information regarding familial socioeconomic status, parental DF, and DF among siblings and friends. The data were analyzed using the t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analysis., Results: A total of 1,522 children were included. Socioeconomic variables were not associated with DF among children. Parental DF, parental dental experiences, siblings' DF, and friends' DF were significantly associated with DF in children. In the regression analysis, mothers' anxiety at the last dental visit, siblings' DF, and friends' DF were significant predictors of DF among children., Conclusion: DF in children is associated with mothers' anxiety during their last dental visit and DF in siblings or friends., Clinical Significance: Obtaining comprehensive dental, family, and social history from patients is as essential as asking about medical history for pediatric dentists to plan the most appropriate and effective behavioral management techniques for their pediatric patients. Understanding the etiology of DF assists clinicians to provide better oral health services for their fearful patients.

Background: Dental anxiety is one of the most common fears that can eventually lead to avoidance of dental care. Knowing how students will respond to dental treatment will aid in increasing their awareness of oral health and overcoming this fear. The present study measured the prevalence of dental anxiety among dental, medical, and nursing students in Riyadh city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., Methods: A cross-sectional study including undergraduate dental, medical, and nursing students at King Saud University and Almajmaa University was conducted to assess dental anxiety using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated. Group comparisons were analyzed using t-tests and analysis of variance. Multiple group comparisons were conducted using Tukey's post-hoc test. P < 0.05 was considered as the significance level., Results: Two hundred twenty-four participants completed the questionnaire. Medical students accounted for most of the responses (40.6%), followed by nursing (31.7%), and dental students (27.7%). There was no significant difference in dental anxiety with regard to gender. Dental students exhibited the least dental anxiety. A significant difference was found between students with good dental experiences compared with those who had bad dental experiences., Conclusion: Dental students had the lowest level of anxiety and anxiety levels were affected by previous dental visits. Increasing awareness and knowledge about oral health, regular dental education, and incorporating dental knowledge into university curriculums can aid in eliminating the fear of dentistry among health sciences students.

Background: Dental fear (DF) is a challenging problem in dentistry. It is multifactorial in origin and many contributing factors have been identified. The aim of the study was to assess dental fear among 12–15 years old Arabic speaking children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and its relation to demographic variables, previous dental experience, and child behaviour. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1522 boys and girls from middle schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia participated in this study during the period of 2014 to 2016. The Children’s Fear Survey Schedule–Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) was used to assess DF. A parental questionnaire was used to record the children’s previous dental experience. Children were examined for caries and the children’s behaviour was assessed during dental examination using Frankl Behaviour Rating Scale. The associations between different variables and the CFSS-DS scores were analysed using t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The response rate of the questionnaires was 78.6%. The mean CFSS-DS score was 25.99 ± 9.3 out of a maximum of 75. Bivariate analysis showed that younger children, girls, and public-school students were significantly more fearful than older children, boys, and private school children, respectively (P < 0.001). Children who showed poor behaviour during dental examination were significantly more fearful than those with good behaviour (P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that children who had significantly higher scores of dental fear were the children who did not visit the dentist in the past year due to dental fear; who never visited the dentist or those who only visited the dentist on pain; who were reported by parents as crying, screaming, or resistant during their previous dental visit; and those who were described to be in pain during previous dental treatment. Dental caries showed no significant association with DF. Conclusions: This study confirms that DF is low among 12–15 years old Arabic speaking children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. DF is associated with age, gender, school type, irregular patterns of dental visits, painful experiences during previous dental visits and negative behaviours during dental examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to compare self-reported dental fear among dental students and patients at a School of Dentistry in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Eighty students ranging in age from 20 to 29 years and 80 patients ranging in age from 18 to 65 years participated in the study. A self-administered pre-tested questionnaire consisting of 13 items was used for data acquisition. The city of Belo Horizonte Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was employed for socioeconomic classification. The chi-square test and binary and multinomial logistic regression were employed in the statistical analysis, with the significance level set at 0.05. The majority of dental students (76.5%) sought the dentist for the first time for a routine exam, while patients (77.3%) mostly sought a dentist for the treatment of dental pain. Dental fear was more prevalent among the patients (72.5%) than the students (27.5%). A total of 47.1% of the students and 52.9% of the patients reported having had negative dental experiences in childhood. The logistic model revealed an association between dental fear and a pain-related experience (OR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.3-2.6). Patients were more prone to dental fear (OR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.0-5.0). Although at different percentages, both students and patients experienced dental fear. Current patient with previous experience of dental pain had more dental fear.