Strah od odlaska stomatologu može imati posljedice povezane s oralnim zdravljem, ali i sa zdravljem općenito. Zbog tog straha može izostati odgovarajuća i redovita stomatološka skrb (barem jednom godišnje). Dentalna anksioznost/fobija jedan je od vodećih čimbenika zbog kojeg pacijenti izbjegavaju odlazak stomatologu. Cilj ovog rada bio je ispitati je li osobe koje imaju loše iskustvo povezano s odlaskom stomatologu u ranoj dobi, tj. tijekom djetinjstva češće razviju dentalnu anksioznost/fobiju te je li je dentalna anksioznost/fobija povezana s povećanom osjetljivosti za dentalnu bol. Također, cilj je ispitati postižu li osobe koje imaju dentalnu anksioznost/fobiju više rezultate na ljestvici anksioznosti kao stanja (Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-X-1) u odnosu na one bez dentalne anksioznosti/fobije. Rezultati ovog istraživanja potvrđuju hipotezu da osobe s lošim iskustvom povezanim s odlaskom stomatologu tijekom djetinjstva imaju višu razinu dentalne anksioznosti, višu trenutnu anksioznost odnosno anksioznost kao stanje na STAI-X-1 te veću dentalnu bol u odnosu na ispitanike koji svoje iskustvo povezano s odlaskom stomatologu tijekom djetinjstva ne percipiraju kao loše. Također, ispitanici s dentalnom anksioznošću/ fobijom rjeđe posjećuju stomatologa.

Fear of a dental procedure can have consequences related to oral health, but also to health in general. This fear can result in a lack of adequate and regular dental care (at least once a year). Dental anxiety/phobia is one of the leading factors for why patients avoid going to the dentist. The aim of this study was to identify if people who had an unpleasant experience with a dentist in childhood are more likely to develop dental anxiety/phobia and to establish whether or not dental phobia is related to a greater sensitivity for dental pain. This study investigates if people with dental anxiety achieve higher results on the scale of anxiety state (STAI-X-1) than people who do not have dental anxiety/phobia. The results of this research confirm the hypothesis that people with an unpleasant experience with a dentist in childhood have a higher level of dental anxiety and higher anxiety state (STAI-X-1) and experience higher levels of dental pain than people who do not perceive their experience with a dentist during childhood as unpleasant or bad. Additionally, subjects with dental anxiety/phobia were less likely to visit the dentist.