Australian population norms for the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C).

BACKGROUND

The Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C) is a theoretically derived test developed to allow clinicians and researchers to measure a person's level of dental fear. Population norms have not previously been made available for the IDAF-4C. The aim of this study was to provide Australian norms for the IDAF-4C using percentile ranks and to examine associations between scores and individual-level characteristics, dental avoidance and fear of pain.

METHODS

A stratified random sample of 1511 Australian adults yielded complete questionnaire data for 1063 individuals (70.4%). Percentile ranks were calculated for IDAF-4C full scale scores stratified by age and gender.

RESULTS

IDAF-4C mean scores varied significantly by age, gender, income, and speaking a language other than English at home. Tables to convert raw scores to percentiles showed that full scale scores varied by age and gender. Scores on the IDAF-4C had strong and significant associations with avoidance of the dentist due to fear, average dental visiting frequency and anxiety about pain when going to the dentist.

CONCLUSIONS

Population norms allow clinicians or researchers to compare results for an individual or subgroup to the Australian population. It is recommended that a dental fear scale be used to screen all dental patients for dental fear to enable a more tailored and effective dental treatment experience.