Dental anxiety and quality of life among adults in the UAE

Fraser Macdonald, Dental Tribune International

Fri. 6. February 2026

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RAS AL-KHAIMAH, UAE: Although the association between dental anxiety and oral health-related quality of life is well established internationally, evidence from the UAE has remained limited. Cultural norms and patterns of dental service utilisation in the region may influence how dental anxiety is experienced and how its impact on daily life is perceived. The region’s rapidly evolving dental care system has expanded access to services and patient-centred care. Against this backdrop, a new study provides adult clinical data from the UAE on the relationship between dental anxiety and perceived oral health impact.

The cross-sectional study examined the association between self-reported dental anxiety and oral health-related quality of life among adults attending an academic dental clinic. Participants with moderate and high dental anxiety reported a significantly greater impact of oral health on their daily functioning, psychological well-being and social participation compared with those with low anxiety. Older age was associated with higher impact of dental anxiety on oral health-related quality of life. No statistically significant differences in anxiety or oral health-related quality of life were observed between men and women. As clinical oral health indicators were not collected, the results likely reflect an interaction between psychological factors and unmeasured disease burden rather than a direct causal pathway, the authors suggest.

The findings reinforce dental anxiety as a clinically relevant psychosocial factor linked to diminished quality of life among adult dental patients. This echoes other studies from other parts of the Middle East as well as South America. Recent bibliometric work mapping three decades of dental anxiety research has shown that associations between dental anxiety, clinical presentation and patient-perceived consequences have become a central theme in the field. The bibliometric analysis also highlights increasing contributions on dental anxiety research from emerging and rapidly developing healthcare systems. The UAE study reflects this trend and adds valuable regional depth to the global evidence base.

For clinicians, the findings highlight the importance of routinely recognising and addressing anxiety alongside clinical treatment, as anxious patients may experience disproportionate functional and psychosocial burden. In the practice, incorporating anxiety-sensitive communication, behavioural management strategies and early identification of highly anxious individuals may improve patient experiences, treatment engagement and perceived outcomes. Beyond the individual practice, the results support integrating psychological considerations into the planning and delivery of patient-centred dental care and into professional training, particularly within diverse and rapidly developing healthcare settings such as in the UAE.

The article, titled “Dental anxiety and oral health-related quality of life among adults in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional study”, was published online on 15 January 2026 in Healthcare.