ANTECEDENTS OF DENTAL ANXIETY - LEARNED RESPONSES VERSUS PERSONALITY-TRAITS

The origins of dental fear and anxiety are numerous and complex. The p urpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative effects of le arned responses and subjective personality traits on the development o f dental anxiety. The study was carried out in kibbutzim (closed homog eneous societies) in Israel where all subjects had received dental tre atment from the same dentist since childhood with no choice of dentist . Subjects were requested to fill out questionnaires concerning their dental anxiety (DAS) in the past and at present, an evaluation of thei r dentist in the past and at present, and a psychopathologic symptom s urvey (SCL-90). The results show that dental anxiety at present correl ates significantly with the evaluation of the present dentist; with de ntal anxiety as remembered from childhood; and with the following SCL- 90 scales: interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, phobic anxiety and Posi tive Symptom Distress Index. The best predictors of dental anxiety at present were the evaluation of the present dentist and past dental anx iety (as remembered from childhood). The results suggest that the leve l of the subject's dental anxiety is affected by environmental factors (evaluation of the present dentist, memories of anxiety from childhoo d), and by personality traits as evaluated by the SCL-90 questionnaire .