A cross sectional study of gender differences in dental anxiety prevailing in the students of a Pakistani dental college

Objective

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to assess the level of dental anxiety prevailing in the dental students and to compare the anxiety levels reported by female and male dental students of Sardar Begum Dental College, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methods

Corah’s dental anxiety scale (DAS) questionnaires (in English language) were distributed among the entire dental students present at the day of study (194 students, females: 120, males: 74). DAS had four questions assessing the level of anxiousness with a maximum possible achievable score of 20. Five options were available for each question. Scoring was performed as A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4 and E = 5. A score between 4 and 8 showed no anxiety, 9 and 12: moderate anxiety, 13 and 14: high anxiety and between 15 and 20 showed severe anxiety (phobia). Data were analyzed statistically.

Results

Overall response rate was 86% (n = 167, females: 108, males: 59). Female dental students presented with higher DAS than male students and the difference was also statistically significant (P < 0.05). Pre-clinical students (1st–2nd year) were found to be more anxious than clinical students (3rd–4th year).

Conclusions

Female dental students and pre-clinical students were found more anxious as compared to male dental students and clinical students respectively. Counseling sessions and exposure therapy (exposure of clinical procedures in this case) at an early stage of dental training could be helpful in reducing the anxiety levels.