[A behavioral dental science research concerning prevention of dental fear. A report on the surveys of dental fear in four countries Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina].

We conducted a behavioral scientific research from the point of view of dental fear prevention. This time, the writers carried out the surveys with the goal of understanding and making clear the realities concerning dental anxiety in the four countries: Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and Argentina. The subjects were 728 dental students from the four countries, and the surveys consisted of 25 multiple choice questions which were divided into three major areas. The first area consisted of preliminary questions such as chief complaints and treatment experiences, the second area dealt with the reactions and physical responses on receiving dental treatment and the third area was on the different levels of anxiety shown during treatment expressed through feelings and reactions. We concluded as follows: 1. In Japan, 77% of the subjects reported having at least a little fear and this percentage was higher than those of other countries (45-65%). But in all countries, 4-7% of subjects reported having extreme dental fear. 2. In Japan and Brazil, women reported the higher fear than men. In Indonesia and Argentina, these results were the opposite. 3. According to canonical correlation analysis, a significant correlation between the level of physical reactions and the degree of dental anxiety was found in all countries. 4. In the high fear group, dental anxiety increased by psychological stress before treatment and the expressions of physical reactions were stronger than in the low fear group.