The Relationship between Personality Trait and Dental Anxiety in Students of Health-Related Specialties: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Objectives:  Dental anxiety is a common issue affecting a significant portion of the population, often leading to avoidance of dental care and subsequent oral health problems. Understanding the underlying factors contributing to dental anxiety is a crucial step toward developing an effective intervention. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety among students of health-related majors, evaluate their personality traits, and find the correlation between them. Additionally, this study aims to find the predictors of such traits and their relationship with each other.

Materials and methods:  The study was conducted on 163 consented students (124 males and 39 females), selected based on major and year of study at the University of Sharjah medical campus. The questionnaire was sent online through Google Forms. It included questions from the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS)and the Big Five personality test. Data analysis was done using SPSS software (IBM Co. version 29) where all descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results:  Moderate level of dental anxiety (12.3 ± 5.8) was observed among students of the medical campus, where nondental students scored higher in mean dental anxiety (13.0 ± 6.2) compared with dental students (10.4 ± 4.5). Males scored higher on the dental anxiety scale (12.5 ± 5.8) compared with females (11.7 ± 5.6). The Big Five personality test results displayed statistical significance association between neuroticism and dental anxiety, compared with other measured parameters (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Neuroticism (Big Five characteristics scoring) and dental anxiety (MDAS scoring) exhibit a significant correlation. The Big Five test's characteristics are interrelated, including neuroticism and conscientiousness which, in turn, had a substantial correlation with agreeableness. Subsequently, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion exhibit substantial correlations with openness. This dynamic between the traits indicates that the adoption of personality tests in dental clinics would lead to improved prediction and management of dental anxiety in health-related students.

Clinical relevance:  Since dentistry relies on patient management to get the best results, understanding the relationship between personality factors and dental anxiety might enhance patient management. This would prevent health care neglect and undiagnosed oral problems.