Presentation description

Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a hypothesized cause of dental care avoidance, resulting in worse oral health. Exposure to trauma may perpetuate DFA as dental settings may retrigger trauma. We hypothesize that individuals with exposure to Sexual Violence (SV) experience more severe DFA.
Survey data from 259 adult patients at the University of Utah assessed DFA using the validated Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF), with items measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Exposure to sexual violence was assessed with two questions: "Did you experience sexual abuse as a child (before age 14)?" and "Did you experience sexual assault as an adult?" Responses included "never," "one time," and "more than once." High levels of DFA were defined as an average response across all items of ⋝2.5. Adjusted linear regression models were conducted.
Among participants, 37.8% reported SV exposure, and 46.3% had high DFA (⋝2.5). Among participants reporting exposure to SV, 55.1% had high DFA, compared to 44.9% among non-reporters. Adjusted models resulted in a mean IDAF score difference of 0.31 (95% CI: 0.05-0.58) between those with any SV exposure and those without. If exposure to SV was limited to adulthood, the difference in mean score increased to 0.46 (95% CI: 0.16-0.75).
Past traumatic experiences are associated with higher DFA scores and may influence patient engagement with dental care. Implementing a trauma-informed care curriculum in dental education may better equip providers to recognize and sensitively respond to patients with trauma, ultimately improving patient experiences.