Fear of COVID-19 tied with dental anxiety and poorer oral health-related quality of life

Results of the study are:

• A total of 2429 adolescents participated in the study.
• The conceptual model fitted the data well. Fear of COVID-19 had a direct effect on dental anxiety, depression, anxiety, stress, and OHRQoL.
• Also, dental anxiety mediated the association of fear of COVID-19 with depression, anxiety stress, and OHRQoL.

Thus, High levels of fear of COVID-19 were associated with high levels of dental anxiety and poorer OHRQoL. Moreover, fear of COVID-19 was positively associated with anxiety, depression and stress. Increased levels of dental anxiety were also associated with increased anxiety, stress, depression, and poorer OHRQoL.

Reference:

Tofangchiha, M., Lin, CY., Scheerman, J.F.M. et al. Associations between fear of COVID-19, dental anxiety, and psychological distress among Iranian adolescents. BDJ Open 8, 19 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-022-00112-w

Keywords:

High levels, fear, COVID-19, high, levels, dental, anxiety, poorer, OHRQoL, Dental anxiety and phobia Health care, BDJ Open, Maryam Tofangchiha, Chung-Ying Lin, Janneke F. M. Scheerman, Anders Broström, Hanna Ahonen, Mark D. Griffiths, Santosh Kumar Tadakamadla & Amir H. Pakpour