IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i4p3343-d1068098.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Web-Based Interventions Reduced Dental Anxiety among Adults in Lithuania and Norway: A Pilot Study

Author

Listed:
  • Lina Stangvaltaite-Mouhat

    (Oral Health Centre of Expertise in Eastern Norway, 0369 Oslo, Norway
    Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Indre Stankeviciene

    (Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Sigrid Sofia Sanchez Martinussen

    (Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsoe, Norway)

  • Vytautas Sabataitis

    (Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Camilla Sandjord

    (Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsoe, Norway)

  • Ingrid Toresen

    (Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsoe, Norway)

  • Marianne Stoltenberg Tryggestad

    (Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsoe, Norway)

  • Alina Puriene

    (Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania)

  • Jan-Are Kolset Johnsen

    (Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsoe, Norway)

Abstract

Dental anxiety (DA) is a prevalent public health issue. However, there is a lack of self-administered DA interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of web-based interventions aiming to reduce DA in adults in two European countries. A pretest posttest design was used. Tailor-made websites were developed in Lithuania and Norway. Volunteers who self-reported DA were invited to participate. DA levels measured by the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) were assessed at baseline and after two weeks via online questionnaires. The interventions were completed by 34 participants in Lithuania and 35 participants in Norway. In Lithuania, the median posttest MDAS score (9.5, IQR 5.25) decreased compared to the median pretest MDAS score (14.5, IQR 8; Z value = −4.246, p < 0.001). The same was found in Norway—the median posttest MDAS score (12, IQR 9) was lower compared to the median pretest MDAS score (15, IQR 7; Z value = −3.818, p < 0.001). The present study demonstrated that two tailor-made web-based interventions had the potential to reduce dental anxiety levels when assessed in the short term in Lithuania and Norway. Studies with more controlled designs assessing long-term outcomes are needed to validate the results of this pilot study also in other cultures.

Suggested Citation

  • Lina Stangvaltaite-Mouhat & Indre Stankeviciene & Sigrid Sofia Sanchez Martinussen & Vytautas Sabataitis & Camilla Sandjord & Ingrid Toresen & Marianne Stoltenberg Tryggestad & Alina Puriene & Jan-Are, 2023. "Web-Based Interventions Reduced Dental Anxiety among Adults in Lithuania and Norway: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3343-:d:1068098
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3343/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3343/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eglė Slabšinskienė & Aistė Kavaliauskienė & Miglė Žemaitienė & Ingrida Vasiliauskienė & Apolinaras Zaborskis, 2021. "Dental Fear and Associated Factors among Children and Adolescents: A School-Based Study in Lithuania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Natalie Sui Miu Wong & Andy Wai Kan Yeung & Kar Yan Li & Colman Patrick McGrath & Yiu Yan Leung, 2022. "Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Reducing Fear and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Third Molar Extraction under Local Anesthesia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Rolf Wynn & Elia Gabarron & Jan-Are K. Johnsen & Vicente Traver, 2020. "Special Issue on E-Health Services," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-6, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andjar Prasetyo & Nana Noviana & Weni Rosdiana & M. Arief Anwar & Hartiningsih & Hendrixon & Bekti Putri Harwijayanti & Mochammad Fahlevi, 2023. "Stunting Convergence Management Framework through System Integration Based on Regional Service Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Andréa Gomes Martins Gaspar & Pedro Escada & Luís Velez Lapão, 2021. "How Can We Develop an Efficient eHealth Service for Provision of Care for Elderly People with Balance Disorders and Risk of Falling? A Mixed Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Andréa Gomes Martins Gaspar & Luís Velez Lapão, 2022. "A Digital Health Service for Elderly People with Balance Disorders and Risk of Falling: A Design Science Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Leah I. Stein Duker & Mollianne Grager & Willa Giffin & Natasha Hikita & José C. Polido, 2022. "The Relationship between Dental Fear and Anxiety, General Anxiety/Fear, Sensory Over-Responsivity, and Oral Health Behaviors and Outcomes: A Conceptual Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Zhiqiang Zong & Mengjie Zhao & Mengyue Zhang & Kexin Xu & Yunquan Zhang & Xiujun Zhang & Chengyang Hu, 2022. "Association between PM 1 Exposure and Lung Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Natalie Sui Miu Wong & Andy Wai Kan Yeung & Colman Patrick McGrath & Yiu Yan Leung, 2022. "Qualitative Evaluation of YouTube Videos on Dental Fear, Anxiety and Phobia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3343-:d:1068098. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.