The prevalence and causes of dental fear among health sector employees and public sectors dental clinic visitors at al-thgar general hospital in Jeddah, K.S.A

Background: Dental Fear is a serious issue that negatively affect oral health. Early detection of the causes of fear is essential to solve this issue. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and various causes of Dental Fear among Saudi health sector employees, including dentists and other health specialties and public sectors dental clinic visitors at Althgar general hospital in Jeddah , K.S.A Methods: This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, based on a structured questionnaire that was developed by the authors. The sample size was estimated with a confidence level of 95%; a sample size of 200 was estimated. The inclusion criteria included participants ≥18 years old, who lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, both males and females. Those who were under the age of 18 years, non-residents of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were excluded. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. If a patient could not read and sign the consent form, we defined him as illiterate and was excluded from the study. Results: Age is not a significant factor in increasing the prevalence of dental fear. However, there is a statistically very significant difference between males and females regarding dental fear (p-value 0.0000017). As female have fear from dental clinic visit more than male. The percentage of fear is more in the public group of dental clinic visitors than medical group. The most common cause of dental fear during the dental appointment is dental needle. Which was reflected as a complaint of increased heart palpitation. Conclusion: Health awareness and education play a key role in which they motivate people to seek dental services and preserve their oral condition in a health appearance.