Acharya, Shashidhar (2015) Personality and Psychological Factors: Effects on Dental Beliefs. Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, 33 (2). pp. 88-92.

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Abstract

Background: Dental treatment can be highly unpleasant for anxious patients. Despite all advancements, dental anxiety continues to upset the dentist-patient relationship. The psychological factors like individual personality and familial and peer infl uence may alter the dental beliefs of a patient. Aim: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among young adolescents to investigate the relationship among various psychological factors and the dental beliefs of an individual. Materials and Methods: A selfadministered questionnaire was distributed among higher secondary school children, aged 15−17 years in Udupi district. The dental anxiety of the participants was measured using Modifi ed Dental Beliefs scale and the personality traits were assessed using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory.Pearson’s correlation and chi-square analysis were performed among these scales. Independent t-test was performed to compare dental anxiety scores with different socio-demographic and psychological characteristics. Results: In all 198 students, with a mean age of 16.6 years, completed the questionnaire. A majority of the participants had lower MDBS scores. The personality traits like Emotional Stability and Openness to New Experiences showed a negative correlation with the Dental Belief scores.Apart from these, the experience at fi rst dental visit and peer support also affected the dental beliefs of the adolescents. Conclusion: Various psychological traits of adolescents infl uence their dental anxiety.

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