Predictive and Relative factors of Dental Anxiety among Third Molar Disimpaction Patients in a Northern Nigerian Hospital.

Introduction: Various factors influence the expression of dental anxiety (DA) among patients. Knowledge of these factors may aid the management of mandibular third molar (M3) dis-impaction patients.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the predictive and relative factors of DA among Mandibular third molar (M3) dis-impaction patients at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria.

Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional type conducted at the Oral Surgery clinic of AKTH, Kano among M3 dis-impaction patients between September 2016 and August 2017. Biodata and information on the past dental history of the participants were collected and recorded. The level of anxiety of participants was assessed with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows (IBM SPSS statistic version 23). The significance level in the study was set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results: One hundred and sixteen patients comprising 62(55.2%) males and 54(44.8%) females were recruited. The sample's median age was 27 years and the majority of the participants were students (n=49,42.2%). The participants' MDAS scores ranged from 5 to 22 with a median score of 11. Females (median MDAS score of 12.50) were significantly (p<0.0001) more anxious than males (median MDAS score of 9.00). Bivariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in DA of the categories of the following independent variables - gender (p<0.0001), ethnicity (p=0.041), occupational status (p=0.044), previous surgical extraction experience (p=0.006), previous bad dental treatment experience (p<0.0001) and history of postponement of dental treatment due to anxiety(p<0.0001). Binary logistic regression analysis with these variables as independent predictors of DA showed that only gender (p=0.013) and previous surgical extraction experience (p=0.042) had statistically significant odds of predicting dental anxiety among the patients. Females had significantly higher odds of being anxious than males [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 4.180, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=1.359 to 12.852] and patients with previous surgical extraction experience had higher odds of being anxious than those without surgical extraction experience [adjusted OR=3.65, 95% CI=1.02 to 13.03].

Conclusion: The predictors of DA in the study are female gender and previous surgical extraction experience. These and other DA-related factors such as patients' occupation and previous bad dental treatment experiences should be considered preoperatively to identify and manage anxious M3 dis-impaction patients.