Dental Anxiety Scale
Also written as: DAS — Dental Anxiety Scale
A validated psychometric questionnaire used to measure a patient's level of anxiety specifically related to dental treatment.
Full Definition
The Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), originally developed by Norman Corah in 1969, is a four-item self-report questionnaire assessing anticipatory anxiety towards dental procedures. It and its successors (such as the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, MDAS) are widely used as patient-reported outcome measures in dental research, particularly in studies evaluating behavioural interventions, conscious sedation, and anxiolytic protocols. Editors should check that the specific scale version is identified by name and citation, that validated translations are referenced when used in non-English speaking populations, and that scores are interpreted against published normative thresholds.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish between the original DAS (4 items) and the MDAS (5 items); the two instruments are not interchangeable and have different threshold scores.
In Context
- "Pre-treatment dental anxiety was assessed using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, with a score ≥19 indicating high anxiety." — Conscious sedation RCT baseline characteristics table
- "Authors should specify which version of the Dental Anxiety Scale was administered, as the DAS and MDAS have different scoring ranges." — Peer review comment on patient-reported outcomes methodology