Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40202195›Full record

ArticleActa odontologica Scandinavica2025

Dental anxiety and empathy among undergraduate oral health students in Norway, South Africa and Namibia.

Faheema Kimmie-Dhansay, Ann Catrin Høyvik, Ahmed Bhayat, Faezah Hussain, Arannikah Karunakaran, Besime Kaya, Pagollang Motloba, Cathrine Malau, John Rutabanzibwa, Shenuka Singh and 2 more

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Article in Acta odontologica Scandinavica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Faheema Kimmie-DhansayDepartment of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Ann Catrin HøyvikDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Behavioral Science and Forensic Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Ahmed BhayatDepartment of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Faezah HussainDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Behavioral Science and Forensic Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Arannikah KarunakaranDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Behavioral Science and Forensic Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Besime KayaDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Behavioral Science and Forensic Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Pagollang MotlobaDepartment of Community Dentistry, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.
Cathrine MalauDepartment of Community Dentistry, School of Oral Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
John RutabanzibwaDepartment of Community Dentistry and Orthodontics, Windhoek, Namibia.
Shenuka SinghSchool of Health Sciences, Discipline of Dentistry, University of the KwazZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Vivienne WilsonDepartment of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Ingvild Johnsen BrusevoldDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, Behavioral Science and Forensic Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. i.j.brusevold@odont.uio.no.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

PURPOSE/

objectivesDental anxiety is a common type of fear that can complicate dental treatment. The dental practitioner is crucial in both treating dental fear and anxiety as well as prevent it from arising. The ability to feel empathy is important in that matter. The dental practitioner's own level of dental anxiety can possibly affect his or her ability to treat patients in an empathetic manner. The aim of this study was to assess and examine the relationship between level of empathy and dental anxiety in undergraduate oral healthcare students from Namibia, South Africa and Norway. MATERIAL AND

methodsA cross-sectional study was performed. Questionnaires were distributed, and responses were analyzed anonymously. Dental anxiety was assessed using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and empathy level was assessed using Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). Data were presented as means or medians and analyzed using a linear regression model in STATA with a 5% level of significance.

resultsThe response rate was 16.0%, and 298 completed questionnaires were received. MDAS was low in all groups (medians 7-10), however, significantly lower in Norway compared to Namibia and South Africa. The mean TEQ score was 46.8 in Namibia, 47.5 in South Africa and 50.4 in Norway, all above average empathy levels but significantly higher in Norway than in Namibia and South Africa.

conclusionsOral healthcare students in Africa and Norway showed high empathy and low dental anxiety, which is reassuring for future oral health care professionals.

Indexed as

Dental AnxietyEmpathyAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleNamibiaNorwaySouth AfricaSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40202195
PMCPMC12020430

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.