Relationship between dental anxiety with dental caries and periodontal disease among army recruits in Bangalore city - A cross sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Dental anxiety can affect the dental health status of an individual leading to avoidance behavior, poor oral hygiene and periodontal health and delay in seeking necessary treatment. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety in army recruits in Bangalore city and to explore the relationship of dental anxiety with dental caries and periodontal disease among army recruits in Bangalore city. METHODOLOGY: The total population of the army recruits in Army Service Corps Center and College was around 1000. General information included name, age, sex educational qualification, address, number of dental visits and age of first visit. The closed ended multiple-choice questionnaire consisting of 4 questions based on previous dental experience given by Corah was used to assess the anxiety level of the individual. Clinical examination of dental and periodontal health was noted using Decayed, Missing, Filled and Surface (DMFS) Index and Community Periodontal Index and Treatment Needs (CPITN) Index. RESULTS: The mean Dental Anxiety Scale score was 9.64 with a standard deviation of 3.6. Of the 836 participants in the study, 444 (53.1%) reported no dental anxiety at all. Two hundred and sixty-three (31.5%) were moderately dental anxious (scoring 9–12), 10.4% were highly anxious (scoring 13–14) and 5% were severely anxious (scoring 15–20). Anxious individuals had poorer periodontal health necessitating treatment compared to nonanxious individuals. The mean DMFS of the study population was highest among those having high and severe dental anxiety (mean DMFS = 11.0 and 12.59, respectively) which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study showed a prevalence of dental anxiety of 47%. Impact of dental anxiety on oral health was found to be obvious as higher DMFT/DMFS was evident among dentally anxious subjects; dental anxiety also showed a strong association with higher CPITN scores.