Dental anxiety is a major public health problem that leads to underutilization of dental care and poor oral health. Much research has demonstrated an association between the expectation of pain during dental treatment and dental anxiety; however, not all patients with high pain expectancy develop dental anxiety, suggesting that other factors may impact the degree to which pain expectancy increases dental anxiety. The present study examined whether anxiety sensitivity (AS; the fear of negative consequences of anxiety-related symptoms and sensations) increases the strength of the relationship between pain expectancy and dental anxiety. Participants were 104 adult patients of Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry clinics. Baseline levels of AS and pain expectancy were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Baseline dental anxiety was assessed using self-report questionnaires and measures of psychological/physiological stress reactivity to films of dental procedures. Participants also underwent a pain expectancy induction, and all indices of dental anxiety were re-assessed following the pain expectancy induction. Linear regression analyses revealed that, in contrast to expectations, AS did not strengthen the relationship between self-reported or laboratory-induced pain expectancy and any indicators of dental anxiety. On the contrary, there was limited evidence that AS may weaken the pain expectancy-dental anxiety relationship. Consistent with previous studies, there was a strong pattern of findings supporting a direct association between pain expectancy and dental anxiety, but limited evidence of a direct association between AS and dental anxiety. AS may not be a strong risk candidate for dental anxiety, and future studies examining other theoretically-relevant vulnerability factors are needed to elucidate pathways through which pain expectancy leads to greater dental anxiety. / Psychology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/2181 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Potter, Carrie Michelle |
| Contributors | Heimberg, Richard G., McCloskey, Michael S., Tellez Merchán, Marisol, Drabick, Deborah A., Giovannetti, Tania, Myers, Shannon V. |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 80 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/2163, Theses and Dissertations |
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