Association Between Dental Anxiety, Smoking, and Alcohol Consumption Among Adults in Guntur City: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study

Background Dental anxiety is a common psychological condition significantly affecting treatment outcomes and oral healthcare-seeking behaviors. Alcohol and tobacco use, combined with dental anxiety, are known risk factors for oral diseases, which makes them less likely to seek preventive dental care, so they deny dental visits. Adults and adolescents have a wide variety of lifestyle choices and psychological factors that interact dynamically. The combined association between alcohol consumption, smoking, and dental anxiety in communal settings, particularly in the urban South Indian population, is poorly understood. Understanding these connections is necessary to develop integrated behavioral and preventive approaches in dental public health. Aim To evaluate the association of dental anxiety with tobacco and alcohol use among young adults while also exploring the demographic and psychosocial characteristics. Material and Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among individuals ( n = 200) aged between 15 and 74 years visiting the outpatient department complaining of tooth pain. A 16-item structured, closed- and open-ended interview questionnaire about demographics, habit-related questions, and a Shortened Dental Anxiety Inventory (SDAI; 1998) was employed. Data were collected and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0. Frequencies were obtained, and the association between variables was assessed using a chi-square test. Results The mean age of participants was 39.8 ± 6.2 years; higher dental anxiety was predominantly associated with anticipatory fear, tooth extraction, drilling sounds, injections, and inadequate procedural explanation. Tobacco smoking showed a statistically significant association with multiple dental anxiety responses, including fear of extraction, drilling, and pre-appointment nervousness ( p < .05). Overall, invasive dental procedures and treatment-related uncertainty were major contributors to dental anxiety among participants. Conclusion From the present study, it was found that both habits showed a significant association with dental anxiety, proving that tobacco and alcohol use can not only affect individuals’ personal and physical health but also psychological well-being.