Association Between Oral Health Literacy and Dental Anxiety among Dental Outpatients

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between oral health literacy and dental anxiety among dental outpatients.

Methods: This study was part of a larger oral health literacy cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending outpatient dental clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin City. Data of interest were demographic characteristics, oral health literacy assessed using Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (REALD-30), and dental anxiety assessed using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS)..

Results: A total of 208 patients comprising male 130 (62.5%) and females 78 (37.5%) aged 16 to 60 years with mean age of 26.84±9.16 years formed the study population. The mean oral health literacy score and dental anxiety score was 22.44±6.94 (range 0-30) and 10.62±4.25 (range 0-25). The prevalence of dental anxiety was 35.6%. Oral health literacy was negatively correlated with dental anxiety (r=-0.045, P=0.522).

Conclusion: About one in every third patient in this study reported dental anxiety which was negatively correlated with oral health literacy. A boost in oral health literacy level will serve as dental anxiety reduction protocol.