Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Wetterer, James

Abstract

Many people suffer a certain degree of dental fear, commonly brought on by an earlier negative experience or by anticipated pain. Dental fear may prevent people from receiving necessary treatment, ultimately worsening their health. To investigate how dental fear is related to age, the origin of dental fear, and preference of treatment options, a self-administered research survey was conducted. The results indicate younger participants claim a lower degree of dental fear in comparison to older participants. Results also showed both negative experience and anticipated pain as origins of dental fear for individuals. Participants also responded positively to music therapy in the waiting rooms/operatory rooms. Lastly, regardless of age and degree of dental fear, respondents preferred receiving both pharmaceutical and psychological treatment options. Future studies could investigate more on preventative care in dental offices and create treatment options based on sole individuals, age groups, origins of dental fear, and effectiveness.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

35 p.

Identifier

FAUHT00038

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