Self-reported dental coping strategies among fearful adult patients: preliminary enquiry explorations

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Self-reported dental coping strategies among fearful adult patients: preliminary enquiry explorations
Issue online:
19 Nov 2007
Accepted for publication September 2007
To cite this article: Jenny M. Bernson, Magnus L. Elfstràm, Ulf Berggren (2007)
Self-reported dental coping strategies among fearful adult patients: preliminary enquiry explorations
European Journal of Oral Sciences 115 (6), 484Ò490.
doi:10.1111/j.1600-0722.2007.00496.x
Blackwell Synergy

Jenny M. Bernson11Clinic of Oral Medicine, Public Dental Service, Gàteborg, Sweden, Magnus L. Elfstràm22Health Care Research Unit, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gàteborg University, Gàteborg, Sweden, Ulf Berggren33Section of Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gàteborg University, Gàteborg, Sweden

Jenny M. Bernson, Clinic of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Odontology, Medicinaregatan 12, SE-413 90 Gàteborg, Sweden
Telefax: +46Ò31Ò7413450
E-mail: jenny.bernson@vgregion.se
Bernson JM, Elfstràm ML, Berggren U. Self-reported dental coping strategies among fearful adult patients: preliminary enquiry explorations. Eur J Oral Sci 2007; 115: 484Ò490. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Eur J Oral Sci

Abstract
This investigation explored strategies to cope with dental treatment used by fearful adult patients undergoing regular dental care and those with phobic avoidance. A newly constructed 20-item questionnaire entitled The Dental CopingStrategy Questionnaire (DCSQ-20) was distributed consecutively to 171 individuals with self- and dentist-reported high dental fear, of whom 77 had dental phobic avoidance and were attending a dental fear clinic and 94 were undergoing regular care at one of three different public dental clinics. The level of dental fear was high in both groups, but significantly higher among avoidant individuals. Several of the DCSQ-20 items showed statistically significant differences between groups. Factor analysis of the DCSQ-20 yielded a four-factor solution explaining 52% of the total variance. The factors were labelled (i) Îself-efficacy statementsÌ, (ii) Îself distraction and distancingÌ, (iii) ÎcatastrophizingÌ, and (iv) Îpraying and despairÌ. The DCSQ-20 displayed sound psychometric properties, and the reliability (CronbachÌs alpha) for the factors was between 0.68Ò0.78. Factors (iii) and (iv) correlated significantly with dental anxiety and were rated significantly higher among individuals with phobic avoidance. In a logistic regression analysis, gender, dental anxiety, and three of the four factors (i, iii, iv) were predictive of regularity vs. phobic avoidance of dental care.

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