GENDER AND AGE-DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES TO DENTAL PAIN AND DENTAL CONTROL

In the literature, it is usual to find women and younger subjects repo rting higher levels of dental anxiety than men and older subjects. Fea r of pain was found to be the most important predictor of dental anxie ty and issues of control were also related to such anxiety. Therefore, it was predicted that gender and age differences would be reflected i n attitudes to pain and control. Subjects were randomly selected from the voters' list in metropolitan Toronto and mailed a questionnaire wi th a request for cooperation in a study of their thoughts, feelings, a nd behaviour regarding dental treatment, The questionnaire included de mographic data, measures of dental anxiety and painful experiences as well as the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale and the Iowa Dental Control In dex. The results supported the main predictions, In addition, attitude s to pain and control were found to be complex phenomena with characte ristic gender differences.