Understanding dental students’ experiences in the recognition and management of dental anxiety

Abstract

Dental anxiety is a common psychological condition that can be challenging for oral health practitioners to manage. This study aimed to examine how dental and oral health students manage patients with dental anxiety and to determine whether individual factors affect students’ confidence, attitudes, and perceptions of the current dental curriculum. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Bachelor of Oral Health students at the University of Otago, New Zealand. The questionnaire included demographic items such as age, gender, personal or familial dental anxiety, program of study, and year level. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis). 128 completed responses were analyzed, with a response rate of 35.1%. Students reported using predominantly non-pharmacological strategies such as reassurance, explanation, and communication to manage dental anxiety. Female students reported higher confidence in managing dentally anxious patients, while those with personal or familial experiences of dental anxiety were less confident in diagnosing dental anxiety. Overall, students were uncertain whether the topic was included in the current curriculum and strongly supported more training in this area. Students are aware of and use appropriate non-pharmacological techniques for managing dentally anxious patients; however, they reported limited confidence and expressed the need for integrating comprehensive anxiety management education early in the dental curriculum.