Differences Between Men and Women Regarding Attitudes Toward Dental Local Anesthesia Among Junior Students at a United Kingdom Dental School

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Differences Between Men and Women Regarding Attitudes Toward Dental Local Anesthesia Among Junior Students at a United Kingdom Dental School
Anesthesia Progress
Volume 52, Issue 2 (Summer )

J. G. Meechan, PhD, FDSRCS, FDSRCPS
School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of junior dental students at a United Kingdom dental school regarding the administration and receipt of a local anesthetic injection. The effect of teaching on these attitudes was also evaluated. Data were collected by questionnaire. Previous experience with local anesthesia in a dental office did not affect students' attitudes toward administration and receipt of a local anesthetic injection from a classmate. Female students were more anxious about giving and receiving local anesthetic injections than male students. Didactic teaching decreased anxiety in relation to administration and receipt of a local anesthetic injection. The results showed that male and female students in a United Kingdom dental school differed in their attitudes toward local anesthesia.

Keywords: Local anesthesia, Dentistry, Sex differences

Received: July 27, 2004; Accepted: January 26, 2005

DOI: 10.2344/0003-3006(2005)52[50:DBMAWR]2.0.CO;2

Address correspondence to Dr J. G. Meechan, School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England NE2 4BW; J.G.Meechan@ncl.ac.uk.

© 2007 The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology