Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Dental Anxiety and Glycaemic Control in Diabetic Patients at a Teaching Hospital in Plateau State

Dental anxiety-induced treatment avoidance may contribute to worse periodontal and glycaemic outcomes in diabetic patients, and empirically characterising this relationship in North Central Nigeria provides novel evidence for integrated diabetes-oral health management. This study empirically investigated the relationship between dental anxiety and glycaemic control among 200 type 2 diabetes patients attending the endocrinology clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State. Dental anxiety was measured using the MDAS. Glycaemic control was assessed using the most recent HbA1c value from clinical records. Periodontal status was assessed using CPI. Logistic and linear regression models were applied with age, duration of diabetes, BMI, and treatment type as covariates. Severe dental anxiety (MDAS score above 18) was found in 21.5 percent and was significantly associated with HbA1c above 7.5 percent (OR = 2.89, p < 0.01). Patients with severe anxiety were significantly less likely to have had dental care in the preceding year (p < 0.001). Periodontal disease severity was significantly worse in high-anxiety patients after controlling for HbA1c. The dental anxiety-HbA1c relationship remained significant after full covariate adjustment. The study provides the first empirical data on the dental anxiety-glycaemic control relationship in a Nigerian diabetic population and recommends anxiety screening in diabetes clinics, psychoeducational support for dentally anxious diabetic patients, and a joint endocrinology-dental clinic model at JUTH. Keywords: dental anxiety, glycaemic control, diabetes, HbA1c, Plateau State