Assessment of Dental Anxiety among College Students in Salem - A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Mitigating dental anxiety in the present context is essential for enhancing individual oral health and cultivating a more informed, healthier community. Aim: The study aims to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety among college students and identify factors that contribute to their apprehension about dental visit. Materials and methods: A descriptive Cross- sectional study was done in Salem between April to June 2024 among college students. Data were collected from 385students by face to face interview using semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-Square test was used to examine the association. Results: The Prevalence of dental anxiety among the study population was 85%. Majority of the study participants were anxious for (slightly extreme anxious) tooth drilled procedure (Frequency 74%, 2.69 +1.34SD) followed by higher anxiety for local anesthetic injection (67%, 2.47 +1.349SD) and for scaling treatment (64%, 2.21+1.15SD). Women demonstrated a significantly higher level of dental anxiety than men (p<0.05) and also participants belonging to the family income level of < RS.37,325 shows high level of dental anxiety (p<0.05). Conclusion: Results shows that Gender and family income were significantly associated with dental anxiety, out of all the socio demographic factors. Reducing avulsion brought on by dental anxiety in clinics and improving patient management are two benefits of addressing dental anxiety levels in various groups. Keywords: Dental fear, Oral Health status, Traumatic Dental Experience, Socio Demographic Factors