Prevalence of Dental Anxiety Among Edentulous Patients Receiving Complete Denture Prosthesis

Abstract

Objective: To determine the dental anxiety in edentulous patients receiving complete dental
prosthesis using questionnaire.
Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was done at department of
Prosthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences,
Jamshoro. Patients with edentulous and aged between 30 years to 70 years of either gender
were included. The dental anxiety, denture-related fears, impression-related discomfort, and
treatment barriers were assessing. Anxiety was quantified on a 0–10 visual analogue scale.
House classification was assessed clinically by the operating dentist. Edentulous duration,
demographic data, and prior denture experience were also recorded. Data were analyzed using
SPSS v.25.
Results: There were 49 females and 38 males, with mean edentulous duration of 6.8 ± 4.3
years. Dental anxiety prevalence was 64.4% (n=56), with a mean anxiety score of 5.9 ± 2.3.
Females reported significantly higher anxiety scores (6.4 ± 2.1) compared to males (5.2 ± 2.4;
p=0.012). Anxiety scores showed a significant positive correlation with edentulous duration
(r=0.41, p<0.001). Among anxiety triggers, fear of loose denture was most prevalent (38.0%),
followed by swallowing impression material (31.0%), fullness of mouth (24.0%), and
breathlessness (18.4%). Sight of instruments caused discomfort in 34.5% of patients. Cost was
the primary barrier to treatment (42.5%). However, 78.2% of patients reported greater comfort
when treatment procedure was explained beforehand (p=0.004), and prior denture experience
was associated with lower anxiety scores (4.9 ± 2.1 vs. 6.8 ± 2.3; p=0.003).
Conclusion: Dental anxiety was highly prevalent among edentulous patients undergoing
complete denture treatment, particularly among females, first-time denture wearers, and patients
classified as hysterical under the House classification. Fear of loose dentures, impression-
related discomfort, and financial barriers were the most commonly identified concerns.
Keywords: Dental anxiety, edentulous, complete denture prosthesis, treatment, dental fear,
prevalence, Comfort,