Evaluating Anxiety in Patients visiting Dental Clinics in Midst of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To determine the anxiety levels of the patients visiting or planning to visit dental clinics and undergoing dental procedures in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional survey-based study, we recruited 502 participants, residing in Karachi, Pakistan.The study was conducted in August 2020. Online questionnaire was formulated assessing the dental anxiety levels of participants using the standard Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, along with demographic data and questions regarding coronavirus and dental treatment. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression tests were used to detect the impact of any variable on the Modified Dental Anxiety Score.

Results: Out of 502 participants, 316 (62.9%) were females and 186 (37.1%) males who completed the online questionnaire. 65 (12.9%) participants reported suffering from high dental anxiety. The majority of participants did not suffer from coronavirus but were fearful of contracting it if they visited dental clinics. The majority of the participants (91.4%) did not test positive for coronavirus. Age and gender had a significant relation with the Modified Dental Anxiety scale, although similar was not seen with level of education and occupation.

Conclusion: Currently, coronavirus outbreak is on the rise with patients requiring dental treatment when urgency arises. Although normally dental anxiety is present, the additional presence of coronavirus has further enhanced it. Dental anxiety continues to be prevalent since the risk of contracting the virus is present. Implementation of proper guidelines to prevent transmission of coronavirus could be a critical factor to decrease dental anxiety of the patients.