Oral health status and treatment needs among adults seeking dental anxiety treatment in general practice – a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Dental anxiety affects approximately 15% of adults worldwide and is associated with adverse oral health outcomes. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe oral health status and treatment needs among adults seeking dental anxiety treatment in general practice. Further, it evaluates the associations between oral health, treatment needs, age, sex, dental anxiety, and years of dental avoidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 88 adults with self-reported dental anxiety recruited from a rural Norwegian general dental clinic. Oral health was assessed using panoramic and intraoral radiographs combined with clinical examination. Treatment needs were evaluated according to Norwegian clinical guidelines by two dentists who reached consensus. RESULTS: Mean age was 38.9 ± 12.2 years; 66% of the respondents were women and mean Modified Dental Anxiety Scale score was 21.0 ± 3.0. Mean decayed teeth were 5.9 ± 4.8 and missing teeth 2.5 ± 4.1. Overall, 93% of the respondents required restorative treatment, 38% endodontic treatment, and 47% extractions. Male sex and longer dental avoidance were significantly associated with poorer oral health (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adults seeking dental anxiety treatment in general practice exhibit severe oral health problems comparable to those in specialist dental anxiety clinics, supporting the need for low-threshold anxiety interventions in general dental practice.