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The role of cognitive and non‐cognitive factors in dental anxiety: A mediation model
Author(s) -
Scandurra Cristiano,
Gasparro Roberta,
Dolce Pasquale,
Bochicchio Vincenzo,
Muzii Benedetta,
Sammartino Gilberto,
Marenzi Gaetano,
Maldonato Nelson Mauro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/eos.12793
Subject(s) - anxiety , cognition , mediation , affect (linguistics) , clinical psychology , structural equation modeling , psychology , medicine , perception , dentistry , psychiatry , statistics , mathematics , communication , neuroscience , political science , law
Dental anxiety is a crucial problem for dentistry because it may represent a significant risk to oral health. Different factors, whether non‐cognitive (e.g., traumatic dental events) or cognitive (e.g., the patient's subjective perceptions), may cause dental anxiety. However, previous studies have assessed these factors as independent predictors of dental anxiety, without providing any exploration of potential mediational pathways. The current study assessed the role of certain cognitive dimensions (i.e., the dentist's perceived professionalism and communicational attitudes, and the patient's perceived lack of control) as mediators between traumatic dental events and dental anxiety. The sample comprised 253 patients who had accessed a public university hospital dental surgery. The mediation analysis used a structural equation modeling. Traumatic dental events were positively associated with dental anxiety but, among the cognitive factors, only lack of control was. Furthermore, lack of control mediated the relationship between traumatic dental events and dental anxiety, although this mediation was only partial. This study sheds light on the mechanisms through which non‐cognitive and cognitive factors may affect dental anxiety. The clinical implications for dental practice, in terms of improving the psychological well‐being of patients, are discussed.