Bernson Jenny M, Elfström Magnus L, Hakeberg Magnus
Department of Behavioral and Community Dentistry, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Eur J Oral Sci. 2013 Jun;121(3 Pt 2):270-6. doi: 10.1111/eos.12039. Epub 2013 Apr 25.
The aim of the present study was to investigate dental coping strategies, general anxiety, and depression in relation to regularity of dental treatment among persons with either regular dental care or phobic avoidance, whilst controlling for sociodemographic factors. Psychometric questionnaires on dental anxiety, dental coping strategies, general anxiety, and depression were delivered to 263 adult patients with dental phobic avoidance behavior who were seeking help from a specialized dental fear clinic and to 141 adult patients with dental anxiety who were receiving regular dental care from various public dental clinics. The results showed that the levels of dental and general anxiety and of depression were significantly higher among irregular attendees compared with regular attendees. Irregular attendees admitted fewer adaptive coping strategies. Predictive of irregular dental care were gender, dental anxiety, general anxiety, and the nonuse of the coping strategy 'optimism'. This study further confirms earlier preliminary results that the use of optimistic thinking is predictive for regular dental attendance habits and that male gender is a risk factor for irregular attendance. Moreover, this study adds that a high level of general anxiety indicates a higher risk for irregular dental care.
本研究的目的是调查有规律的牙齿护理或恐惧回避行为的人群中，牙齿应对策略、一般焦虑和抑郁与牙齿治疗规律性之间的关系，同时控制社会人口学因素。向263名有牙齿恐惧回避行为且正在寻求专业牙齿恐惧诊所帮助的成年患者，以及141名正在接受各种公共牙科诊所定期牙齿护理的有牙齿焦虑的成年患者发放了关于牙齿焦虑、牙齿应对策略、一般焦虑和抑郁的心理测量问卷。结果显示，与定期就诊者相比，不定期就诊者的牙齿焦虑、一般焦虑和抑郁水平显著更高。不定期就诊者采用的适应性应对策略较少。预测不定期牙齿护理的因素有性别、牙齿焦虑、一般焦虑以及未采用“乐观”应对策略。本研究进一步证实了早期的初步结果，即采用乐观思维可预测有规律的就诊习惯，而男性是不定期就诊的风险因素。此外，本研究还表明，高水平的一般焦虑表明不定期牙齿护理的风险更高。
