What psychometric scales did researchers use to measure dental fear, anxiety, or phobia? A literature survey from 2020 to 2024

Background: Dental fear, anxiety, and phobia are common psychological constructs that affect patient cooperation and treatment outcomes. Numerous psychometric tools have been developed to measure these constructs, yet contemporary usage patterns remain unclear. This study aimed to survey the psychometric scales used to assess dental fear, anxiety, or phobia in the scientific literature published from 2020 to 2024.

Methods: On 1 October 2025, Web of Science and Scopus were searched using the terms “dental fear,” “dental anxiety,” “dental phobia,” and “odontophobia,” limited to title, abstract, and keywords. Eligible records were English-language original articles published in 2020–2024 that used at least one psychometric tool. After screening and deduplication, 772 papers were included. Each paper was coded for subject age group, psychometric tools used, author departmental affiliation, and publication year.

Results: Nearly half of the studies focused on adults (46.1%), while 45.7% examined children only. Most studies (76.2%) used a single tool. Dentistry-affiliated authors contributed to 93.0% of papers, whereas psychology and psychiatry authors contributed to 10.5% and 3.2%, respectively. The most frequently used tools were the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS, 32.3%), Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS, 13.7%), and the Children's Fear Survey Schedule–Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS, 10.4%). Comparisons with earlier periods (1988–1998 and 2008) showed a marked rise in MDAS usage and a decline in CDAS usage.

Conclusions: A wide range of psychometric instruments were used in dental fear, anxiety, and phobia research from 2020 to 2024, with MDAS remaining dominant. The limited involvement of psychology and psychiatry researchers suggests opportunities for greater interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance theoretical and measurement rigor.