Abstract

There are two types of anxiety disorders: state and trait anxiety. Anxiety among dental patients is common and potentially problematic, both for the patient and for the dental team in managing such patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in dental anxiety among patients and parents, their state and trait anxiety were assessed by using anxiety scales. Anxiety levels of 120 patients and parent of each patient were assessed using questionnaire based scales for state-trait and dental anxiety. Questionnaires were filled by patients and parents at two different intervals, that is, T1 (start of orthodontic treatment) and T2 (3 months after orthodontic treatment). T1 and T2 scores were compared using paired sample t-test and the correlation between dental anxiety scale (DAS) and State-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) was performed using Pearson’s correlation test. The results of this study show that anxiety levels of patients greatly reduced with time, however their parent’s anxiety level remains unchanged. Level of anxiety of both state and dental patients decreases as these patients become more familiar with the dental environment and orthodontist.

Key words: Orthodontic treatment, state anxiety STAT-S, trait anxiety STAT-T, dental anxiety scale DAS.