Dental pain and oral health-related quality of life in individuals with severe dental anxiety

Figures & data

Table 1. Study sample characteristics according to dental pain and for the total group.

Characteristics	No dental pain (n = 38)	Dental pain (n = 132)	p value	Total (n = 170)
Age, M (SD)	44.1 (14.3)	41.4 (12.3)	NS^a	42.0 (12.8)
Gender, % (n)			NS^b
Men	44.7 (17)	32.6 (43)		35.3 (60)
Women	55.3 (21)	67.4 (89)		64.7 (110)
Education, % (n)			NS^b
Elementary school	18.4 (7)	30.3 (44)		27.6 (47)
High school	47.4 (18)	45.5 (60)		45.9 (78)
University	31.6 (12)	23.5 (31)		25.3 (43)
Dental anxiety, M (SD)
DAS	17.2 (2.2)	17.8 (2.0)	NS^a	17.6 (2.1)
DFS	75.7 (12.0)	80.5 (11.8)	0.030^a	79.4 (12.0)
Self-rated oral health, M (SD)	31.1 (24.2)	19.8 (20.8)	0.008^c	22.3 (22.0)
Self-rated general health, M (SD)	69.3 (21.2)	67.4 (21.4)	NS^c	67.9 (21.3)
Clinical variables, M (SD) Md
Missing teeth	3.6 (4.9) 3.0	2.9 (4.0) 1.0	NS^c	3.0 (4.2) 1.0
Root remnants	2.0 (3.2) 0.0	1.6 (3.5) 0.0	NS^c	1.7 (3.4) 0.0
Decayed teeth	5.2 (6.3) 3.0	6.6 (6.6) 4.0	NS^c	6.25 (6.6) 3.5
Filled teeth	7.1 (4.9) 7.5	7.2 (5.3) 6.0	NS^c	7.1 (5.2) 6.0
Root-filled teeth	1.6 (2.5) 0.5	1.0 (1.5) 0.0	NS^c	1.1 (1.8) 0.0
Apical periodontitis	1.9 (2.9) 0.0	2.0 (2.8) 1.0	NS^c	2.0 (2.8) 1.0

^a t-test,

^b Chi-squared test;

^c Mann–Whitney U-test.

M: mean; SD: standard deviation; Md: median.

Table 2. Dental pain prevalence and pain intensity (100 mm VAS) according to gender and the total group.

	Prevalence % (n)			Intensity mean (SD)
	Men, n = 60	Women, n = 110	Total, n = 170	Men	Women	Total
Toothache	40.0 (24)	43.6 (48)	42.4 (72)	63.2 (27.0)	59.8 (28.3)	61.0 (27.7)
Toothache when eating hot/cold food	46.7 (28)	56.4 (62)	52.9 (90)	45.5 (24.4)	50.6 (23.0)	49.0 (23.4)
Toothache when chewing	45.0 (27)	50.9 (56)	48.8 (83)	51.2 (28.0)	52.7 (27.2)	52.2 (27.3)
Dental pain index	71.7 (43)	80.9 (89)	77.6 (132)	–	–	–

No statistically significant differences between the groups.

Table 3. Prevalence, frequency of and severity of OIDP scores according to dental pain and the total group.

	Prevalence % (N)				Frequency (0–5) of affected individuals, mean (SD)				Severity (0–5) in affected individuals, mean (SD)
	No dental pain, N = 38	Dental pain, N = 132	p Value^a	Total, N = 170	No dental pain	Dental pain	p Value^b	Total	No dental pain	Dental pain	p Value^b	Total
Physical performances
Eating/enjoying food	38.8 (14)	75.8 (100)	>.001	67.1 (114)	4.5 (1.1)	4.7 (0.8)	NS	4.7 (0.9)	3.1 (1.4)	3.5 (1.2)	NS	3.4 (1.3)
Speaking/pronouncing words	5.3 (2)	18.2 (24)	.051	15.3 (26)	4.0 (1.4)	4.8 (0.8)	.029	4.8 (0.9)	4.0 (1.4)	4.0 (1.3)	NS	4.0 (1.2)
Going shopping/meeting someone	7.9 (3)	18.9 (25)	NS	16.5 (28)	5.0 (0.0)	4.7 (0.7)	NS	4.8 (0.6)	4.0 (1.0)	4.4 (0.9)	NS	4.3 (0.9)
Cleaning of teeth	15.8 (6)	48.5 (64)	>.001	41.2 (70)	5.0 (0.0)	4.8 (0.8)	NS	4.8 (0.8)	2.2 (1.7)	3.6 (1.3)	.004	3.5 (1.4)
Psychological performances
Sleeping/relaxing	10.5 (4)	43.2 (57)	>.001	35.9 (61)	4.3 (1.5)	4.8 (0.7)	NS	4.7 (0.8)	3.5 (1.0)	3.9 (1.1)	NS	3.9 (1.1)
Smiling/laughing/exposing teeth	39.5 (15)	60.6 (80)	.021	55.9 (95)	4.9 (0.3)	4.9 (0.5)	NS	4.9 (0.5)	3.8 (1.3)	4.3 (1.0)	NS	4.2 (1.1)
Keeping one’s emotional state/not getting irritated	13.2 (5)	40.2 (53)	.002	34.1 (58)	5.0 (0.0)	4.8 (0.5)	NS	4.9 (0.5)	3.8 (1.8)	3.9 (1.2)	NS	3.9 (1.2)
Social performances
Working/keeping up with social life	15.8 (6)	32.6 (43)	.044	28.8 (49)	5.0 (0.0)	4.9 (0.5)	NS	4.9 (0.4)	4.5 (0.5)	4.3 (0.9)	NS	4.3 (0.8)
Appreciating human contact	15.8 (6)	29.5 (39)	NS	26.5 (45)	5.0 (0.0)	4.8 (0.7)	NS	4.8 (0.7)	4.2 (1.0)	4.1 (0.9)	NS	4.1 (0.9)

^a Chi-squared test;

^b Mann–Whitney U-test.

Table 4. Multivariable logistic regression with the independent variables age, the dental pain index, and decayed teeth regressed on the dependent variable OIDP (dichotomized into no daily performance versus one or more daily performance reported).

Variable	Category	Referent category	OR	95% CI	p Value
Dental pain index	Pain	No pain	8.21	2.97–22.65	<.001
Age (years)			1.04	1.00–1.08	.76
Decayed teeth	>1	≤1	3.87	1.41–10.61	.008

Nagelkerke R²=0.31. OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval.