Illness behaviour and anxiety in dental patients.

The Authors evaluate the influence of illness behaviour (measured by IBQ) on patients' delay in seeking dental treatment for caries or periodontal pathology, and the relationship with anxiety (measured by STAI) and with social--demographic and clinical data. One hundred patients were studied. Delay in coming for a dental visit is influenced by family habit, level of education and fear experienced. The 'late' patients present significantly higher scores for denial on the IBQ. More serious pathology is in relation with greater denial. Anxiety is positively correlated with the IBQ scales dysphoria, hypochondria, disease conviction, irritability and inversely with denial.