Assessment of the rate of fear in different dental processes in Kerman dental school, 2007

Fear from dentistry procedures is one of the most prevalent conditions which can influence patient-dentist relationships. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of fear from different dental procedures in patients referred to the dental school of Kerman university. In this cross-sectional study, the rate of fear from different dental procedures in 386 patients referred to the dental school of Kerman University was assessed with the visual analogue scale by a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by t and ANOVA tests. The results of this study showed that from 386 patients referred, 74 (19%) patients had low to moderate fear, 261(67.8%) patients had moderate to severe fear and 51(13.2%) patients had extreme fear. Most of the patients feared from surgery, root canal therapy, extraction and observing the syringe. The analysis of data showed that there was a significant relationship between fear, sex and previous unpleasant experiences. Women had more fear than men (P=0.012), and those who had unpleasant experiences feared more than those who did not (P=0.03). Fear decreased as the number of visits to the dentist increased (P=0.021). In spite of the differences in the rate of fear, dental procedures which cause the fear were the same in the patients.