# Impact of dental anxiety on oral health

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/impact-of-dental-anxiety-on-oral-health
> Updated: 2026-10-28T11:14:36.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Dental anxiety and odontophobia—an extreme anxiety disorder—are identified as significant barriers to effective oral healthcare. Experts note that fear often leads to delayed treatments, causing manageable issues like tooth decay to progress into severe conditions requiring root canals or extractions.

This avoidance creates a cycle where patients only seek professional intervention during dental emergencies, such as sudden toothaches, swelling, or broken teeth. Such delays can result in complications including infections, tooth loss, and jawbone erosion. While global prevalence of odontophobia is estimated between 3.3% and 5%, some studies indicate it may affect up to 8.6% of the population in Chile. To mitigate long-term anxiety and ensure health, specialists emphasize the importance of early dental introduction for children.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-28: Dental emergencies and the impact of odontophobia

Dental emergencies require quick action to prevent complications, but odontophobia—an extreme fear of dentists—often causes patients to delay care until severe pain or infection occurs.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dental-emergencies-and-the-impact-of-odontophobia

### 2026-10-09: Dentist fear can disrupt overall oral health

Specialist Dentist Gökhan Deniz warns that fear of dental visits can lead to delayed treatments, resulting in tooth decay, extractions, and potential jawbone erosion.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dentist-fear-can-disrupt-overall-oral-health

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Cite as: Impact of dental anxiety on oral health. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/impact-of-dental-anxiety-on-oral-health