OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to assess the frequency of dental @entity148 and/or fear among @entity1 in an emergency dental service. METHODS: Research was based on interviews with 252 @entity1 , aged 18 years old and over, attended at an emergency dentistry service of S  o Paulo, Brazil, from August to November, 2001. Two methods were used to measure dental @entity148 : the Modified Dental @entity148 Scale (MDAS) and the Gatchel Fear Scale. The study group answered questions concerning major complaint, how much time had elapsed since their last visit to the dentist and since the initial symptoms leading to the current visit to the emergency service, level of education, family income and previous @entity130 . Statistical analysis (chi2 and Fisher exact test) was performed to evaluate these characteristics. RESULTS: It was found that 28.17% of this sample was dentally anxious, according to the MDAS, and 14.29%, felt fear related to dental treatment according to the Gatchel Fear Scale. @entity1 were more anxious than @entity1 at a statistically significant rate (MDAS). The time elapsed since the onset of initial symptoms was more than 7 days for 44.44% of the @entity1 . A large proportion of anxious @entity1 returned to treatment during the last year. A previous traumatic experience with dental was identified in 46.48% of the dentally anxious @entity1 . No significant relation between level of education or income and dental @entity148 was found. CONCLUSIONS: Dentally anxious @entity1 frequent attend emergency care. Females are more likely to report high dental @entity148 than males. Previous experience seems to be an important factor contributing to avoidance of dental care.

[Dental XXXX in an emergency dental service].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'women', 'patients', 'Women', 'men'] @entity148 :: ('MESH:D001008', 'Disease') :: ['Anxiety', 'anxiety'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['traumas']
@entity148 :: (MESH:D001008,Disease) :: ['anxiety']
