Factor structure of the Dental Beliefs Survey in a dental phobic population.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the 15-item Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS) in a population of dental phobic patients (n=362). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were used. The EFA indicated three factors: 'communication', 'trust', and 'fear of negative information'. However, the EFA further suggested a general factor with all 15 items. By using the CFA, five factors were found based on the EFA solution and the original DBS dimensions. A general factor, 'social interaction distress in dental treatment', and four more narrow dimensions, 'communication', 'trust', 'fear of negative information' (originally labelled 'belittlement'), and 'lack of control', was the most adequate result with regard to theoretical and statistical properties. However, some items in the factors were partly different from the original version of the DBS. In conclusion, the DBS attempts to measure a complex phenomenon with regard to patients' perceptions and attitudes to dental care. This study has revealed psychometric properties of the DBS in a population of dental phobic patients. The important finding was a general dimension, which suggests the use of DBS as an overall measure of dental beliefs. However, more research is needed in epidemiological and clinical studies with non-phobic individuals.