Prevalence and Comorbidity of Dental Phobia in a Representative Population of 16-Year-Olds in Norway.

BACKGROUND

Although dental fear and anxiety are common in children and adolescents, they are not well-defined constructs and may not capture critical clinical aspects. Dental phobia (DP) is more well-defined as a specific phobia that includes the criteria of functional impairment.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and covariates of DP.

DESIGN

A representative sample from two birth cohorts in Trondheim, Norway (n = 666) was assessed at age 16. A diagnostic interview using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia was conducted with both parent and adolescent. Personality traits, intelligence, and executive functioning were also assessed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of DP was estimated to 3.7% (95% CI: 2.7%-5.1%), whereas 8.0% (95% CI: 6.5%-9.9%) had intra-oral injection phobia (I-OIP). Generally, DP was not associated with anxiety, depressive disorders, personality traits, or poor executive functioning. However, DP was comorbid with social anxiety disorder and had more symptoms of ADHD, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and lower verbal intelligence than those without DP.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental phobia is prevalent in adolescence and exists independently from other anxieties, although persons with DP more often experience social anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulties understanding advanced language. These tendencies could lead to challenges with interaction and comprehension during dental visits.