Dental anxiety is a prevalent concern in Western societies, affecting a broad demographic from children to the elderly, and posing a challenge to the delivery of oral health care. The Swiss Dental Association (SSO) has been conducting national surveys since 1980, with additional questions since 2010, to better understand the Swiss population's perception of the dental profession. Their 2010 and 2017 surveys aimed to gain more insight into dental anxiety across Switzerland, and to relate their findings to various demographic and socio-economic factors. A total of 2240 participants (1129 in 2010 and 1111 in 2017), demographically representative of Switzerland's socioeconomic distribution, were surveyed, with an even gender distribution (49.7% male and 50.3% female, p=0.7656). The mean age of the cohort was 43.5 ±16.0 years. The prevalence of dental anxiety decreased from 2010 to 2017. In 2010, 21.3% (CI: 19.0-23.7) reported higher levels of dental anxiety, which decreased to 13.3% (CI: 11.4-15.4) in 2017. Women consistently reported higher levels of dental anxiety than men in both years (2010: p<0.0001, 2017: p=0.0003). Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher levels of education (p<0.0001), trust in the dentist (p=0.0005) and satisfaction with the dentist (p=0.0489) significantly predicted lower levels of dental anxiety. In conclusion, these results highlight an overall decrease in dental anxiety from 2010 to 2017, but particularly among highly educated individuals and participants expressing satisfaction and trust in their dentist. While women consistently reported higher levels of anxiety, the overall results suggest promising trends in perceptions of oral health in Switzerland.
Keywords: dental anxiety; dental fear; oral health care; socioeconomic factors.