Investigation of Dental Anxiety Levels and Its Effect on Dental Attendance Among Undergraduates in Ibadan

Dental anxiety is a significant barrier to regular preventive dental attendance among young adults, and its measurement in a Nigerian university population provides evidence for patient-centred dental care approaches. This study investigated dental anxiety levels and their relationship to dental attendance patterns among undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 380 undergraduate students using stratified random sampling across four faculties. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was administered alongside a questionnaire assessing dental visit history, specific anxiety triggers, and previous adverse dental experiences. Results showed that 34.7 percent demonstrated moderate dental anxiety and 12.1 percent severe dental anxiety using MDAS criteria. Students who had experienced a painful previous dental procedure showed significantly higher anxiety scores. Dental fear of injection was the most commonly cited anxiety trigger (68.4 percent of anxious students), followed by drilling (54.9 percent) and anticipated pain (71.3 percent). Severely anxious students visited the dentist significantly less frequently (mean 0.4 times per year) than non-anxious students (mean 1.8 times per year). Gender analysis showed higher anxiety prevalence in female students. The study concludes that dental anxiety is prevalent among university students and significantly reduces preventive dental attendance. Recommendations include patient education on modern pain management, training dental staff in anxiety management techniques, and creating a welcoming dental environment at the University of Ibadan Student Health Centre.

Keywords: dental anxiety, MDAS, dental attendance, undergraduate students, Ibadan