The relationship between the pain fear and oral health impact in patients attending the Teaching Dentistry Clinics in Iraq: A preliminary report

Aim: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of fear of dental pain and show its relation to the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) using the fear dental pain questionnaire (FDPQ) and its short version (s-FDPQ). ‎ Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Dentistry at Al Hussein University College in Karbala, Iraq, from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. The primary outcome of this study was the scores of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14), the fear dental pain questionnaire (18-item FDPQ), and its short version (5-item s-FDPQ). The secondary outcomes were the demographic characteristics, gingival index, and decayed, missing, and filling teeth index. Results: Sixty-eight participants (26 females and 42 males) in total completed the study. The baseline data showed that the median values of OHIP-14 and s-FDPQ scores were significantly higher in males compared with females and in currently smokers than non-smokers. There were significant correlations between OHIF-14 and FDPQ (r = 0.421, p<0.001) and s-FDPQ (r = 0.369, p = 0.002), while the DMFT index was significantly correlated with FDPQ (r = 0.527, p<0.001) and s-FDPQ (r = 0.432, p<0.001). Conclusion: The oral health impact profile and the fear of dental pain in adults who attend dental clinics for dental treatment are significantly correlated. A more significant association was observed with applying FDPQ compared with s-FDPQ.