Dental anxiety among dental, medical, and nursing students of two major universities in the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

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.