Abstract
Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the nature and prevalence of needle phobia among female Saudi dental patients attending dental clinic in college of dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha.
Materials and Methods: The sample has been included 1227 female adult individuals above twenty years old, attending outpatient dental clinic in the College of Dentistry King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. The sampling technique used in the research is simple random sampling technique. A modified type of structured questionnaire utilized by Milgrom et al. was prepared. The questionnaire includes 15 items. The queries were asked concerning the various fears connected with dental shots, including general concern with needles, concern with pain, concern with bodily injury, concern with cross-contamination, and anxieties linked to nearby anesthesia such as, for example, inadequate numbness or a detrimental reaction. The items were scored as "Yes/ No." The questionnaire was examined for validity and reliability.
Results: 65% of study subjects agreed that they experience of fear of needle in their lifetime. According to 83% of participants disagreed that their parents had experienced the needle phobia. Majority of participants (72.9%) said "yes" for their one of their relatives or friends having the fear of needles. Only 34.6% of subjects agreed that they avoided the dental treatment due to needle phobia anytime in their life. 55.9% of subjects said that seeing the needle is terrifying. More than half of the subjects (52.9%) believed that nothing is as painful as a needle in the mouth.
Conclusions: Dental doctors should take care of patients who've a concern with needles because of needle phobia. Anesthetic procedures involving the needle injection are the routine dental procedures employed in the dental clinic. Furthermore, the dental awareness program should include the main topics of needle phobia, so the patient will not really avoid the required oral or medical treatment.