DENTAL ANXIETY AND DENTAL ATTENDANCE FREQUENCY OF DENTAL STUDENTS VERSUS STUDENTS MAJORING IN OTHER FIELDS

The study aimed to comparatively assess dental anxiety and trends in accessing dental care in students majoring in dentistry and other fields. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of university students from Bucharest. Data were collected through the Google form platform, from 2023 to 2024. Dental anxiety was recorded through the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C(+)) and Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Results. Dental anxiety of dental students was statistically significantly lower than for students majoring in other fields. The most anxiety-provoking stimuli were painful or uncomfortable procedures, the cost of dental treatments, needles or injections, and having an unsympathetic dentist. Dental students attend dental care for periodical control more often than non-dental students (66.34% vs 35.19%, p < 0.001). Conclusion. Dental students, compared to students majoring in other fields, had lower levels of dental anxiety and went more frequently for periodical dental control.