Title

Multimodal perspectives on dental anxiety etiology and technologies

Authors

Sana Khan¹*, Vishwa Patel², Osiris Toledo Calixto³, Akshitha Pathipati⁴, Sai Viswasri Immameni⁵ & Asna Masood⁶

Affiliation

¹Department of dental surgery, M A Rangoonwala College Of Dental Science & Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India; ²Department of dental surgery, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Gujarat University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India; ³Department of Stomatology, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma De Puebla, Puebla, Mexico; ⁴Department of dental surgery, Government Dental College and Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India; ⁵Department of dental surgery, Gitam Dental College & Hospital, Visakhapatnam andhra Pradesh, India; ⁶Department of dental surgery, Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana, India; *Corresponding author

Email

Sana Khan - E-mail: sa2026khan@gmail.com

 Vishwa Patel - E-mail: Drpatel.vishwa@gmail.com

Osiris Toledo Calixto - E-mail: osiristoledocalixto@gmail.com

Akshitha Pathipati - E-mail: akshithapathipati.2@gmail.com

Sai Viswasri Immaneni - E-mail: viswasriimmaneni@gmail.com

 Asna Masood - E-mail: asnamasood10@gmail.com

Article Type

Review

Date

Received January 1, 2026; Revised January 31, 2026; Accepted January 31, 2026, Published January 31, 2026

Abstract

Dental anxiety is a complex condition that negatively impacts oral health, quality of life and dental care efficiency, often arising from psychological, physiological and early negative experiences that extend into adulthood. Therefore, it is of interest to assess its severity and identify triggers, tools such as the dental anxiety scale (DAS), modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS), dental fear scale (DFS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Children are often evaluated using the venham picture test (VPT) and facial image scale (FIS). Management involves behavioral and psychological methods, including rapport building, cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques. Pharmacological options like nitrous oxide and sedation provide relief. Oral benzodiazepines help patients remain calm during clinical procedures. Additionally, emerging technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, audiovisual distraction and biofeedback have shown promising results. Tailored, multimodal plans ensure the best outcomes for every individual. Integrating these tools leads to better cooperation and long-term health.

Keywords

Dental anxiety, oral health, dental anxiety management, anxiety assessment tools, technological advancements.

Citation

Khan et al. Bioinformation 22(1): 553-558 (2026)

Edited by

Rashmi Laddha

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.