Gender differences in reported dental fear and fear of dental pain
Gender differences in reported dental fear and fear of dental pain
Issue online:
22 Nov 2007
Submitted 12 April 2006; accepted 14 June 2006
To cite this article: Marc W. Heft, Xiaoxian Meng, Margaret M. Bradley, Peter J. Lang (2007)
Gender differences in reported dental fear and fear of dental pain
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 35 (6), 421Ò428.
doi:10.1111/j.1600-0528.2006.00344.x
Blackwell Synergy
Marc W. Heft11Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Diagnostic Sciences, University of Florida, Xiaoxian Meng22Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Margaret M. Bradley33Department of Clinical & Health Psychology and Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida and Peter J. Lang33Department of Clinical & Health Psychology and Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida
Marc W. Heft DMD, PhD, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, JHMHC, Box 100416, Gainesville, FL 32610-0416, USA
Tel: +1 352 273 6721
Fax: +1 352 846 0588
e-mail: mwheft@ufl.edu
Heft MW, Meng X, Bradley MM, Lang PJ. Gender differences in reported dental fear and fear of dental pain. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2007. © 2007 The Authors.
Abstract
Objectives: Gender differences in dental fear have been of increasing interest among clinicians and researchers. The objectives of this study were to assess: (i) gender differences in reports of global dental fear, global fear of dental pain, and specific fear of dental pain; (ii) how the wording of questions about specific fear of dental pain influences a subjective report, and (iii) the interactions between gender differences and wording effects in the reports of specific fear of dental pain.
Methods: A telephonic survey of 504 adult Floridians was conducted in 2004. Data collected included six measures of specific fear of dental pain, one measure of global fear of dental pain, one measure of global dental fear, and demographic information.
Results: Women were more likely to report global dental fear, global fear of dental pain, and specific fear of dental pain than men, and both women and men were more likely to report ÎdreadÌ of dental pain than ÎfearÌ of dental pain.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that: (i) there are gender differences in reports of dental fear and fear of dental pain; and (ii) both men and women are more willing to express their fearful feelings regarding dentistry using a more socially acceptable term.
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