Background: Dental anxiety and generalized anxiety are common psychological conditions and can lead to poor oral health and avoidance behavior. This research aims to study the complex interplay between dental anxiety, generalized anxiety, dental neglect, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in the general public. Methods: This is an online survey study that was conducted between August to September 2024 in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Four previously validated instruments were used in this study. This study made use of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, dental neglect scale, and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro (Model 4) to explore whether dental anxiety and dental neglect mediates the relationship between generalized anxiety and OHRQoL. Results: This study had 2704 participants in total. Higher anxiety levels were associated with slightly lower dental neglect and significantly poorer OHRQoL. Generalized anxiety significantly predicted dental anxiety, with a coefficient of b = 0.275 (p < 0.001). Both generalized anxiety and dental anxiety were significant predictors of OHRQoL, with generalized anxiety showing stronger effect. Dental anxiety partially mediates the impact of generalized anxiety on oral health-related quality of life, while a strong direct effect remains. Conclusions: Dental neglect served as a minor mediator, and the primary relationship between anxiety and oral health-related quality of life is direct. Moreover, dental anxiety partially mediates the impact of generalized anxiety on oral health-related quality of life, while a strong direct effect remains.

Background: Mental health challenges among university students are pervasive, with alexithymia posing a particularly significant yet understudied challenge. This condition significantly affects an individual’s ability to cope with stress due to difficulties in recognizing, describing, and processing emotions. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate alexithymia prevalence and its associated factors among dental undergraduate students and interns enrolled at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Data were collected through a self-administered online survey that assessed alexithymia symptoms (using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20]), sociodemographic profiles, lifestyle-related factors, and health-related factors. The associations between participant factors and alexithymia were assessed using chi-square and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 421 eligible participants, 369 completed the survey (87.6% response rate), revealing a significant prevalence of alexithymia (37.9%). Female gender (AOR = 1.7, p = 0.04), depression (AOR = 5.6, p < 0.0001), chronic diseases (AOR = 3.5, p = 0.003), and childhood abuse (AOR = 2.2, p = 0.047) were independent factors significantly associated with alexithymia. Conclusions: These findings highlight the pressing need for mental health support within dental education. Early interventions targeting alexithymia could mitigate its adverse consequences, promoting better student well-being and academic success.

Oral health is an integral component of general health and quality of life; however, oral diseases remain unevenly distributed due to social, economic, and contextual factors. In Saudi Arabia, adults experience a substantial burden of dental caries, periodontal disease, and related conditions, with evidence suggesting marked disparities across socioeconomic and demographic groups. Despite growing research attention, evidence on the social determinants of oral health among Saudi adults remains fragmented. This narrative review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the social determinants of oral health among adults in Saudi Arabia and to identify key patterns, gaps, and implications for policy and practice. A narrative review was conducted following the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA). Literature was gathered from PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, focusing on social determinants of oral health among Saudi adults. Empirical studies addressing social, economic, cultural, behavioral, and structural factors were included, and findings were synthesized thematically using a narrative approach. The reviewed literature consistently demonstrates that socioeconomic status, particularly income, education, employment, and geographic location, strongly influences oral health outcomes and dental service utilization among Saudi adults. Lower socioeconomic position is associated with a higher prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease, reduced use of preventive dental care, and poorer oral health-related quality of life. A persistent gap between oral health knowledge and preventive practices was evident, shaped by financial constraints, access barriers, and cultural perceptions. Tobacco use, including smokeless tobacco, and the interaction between oral and systemic conditions, such as diabetes, further exacerbate oral health disparities, especially among vulnerable populations. Oral health disparities among Saudi adults are driven by complex social determinants that extend beyond clinical factors. Addressing these inequities requires integrated strategies that combine preventive dental care, health system reforms, culturally responsive health promotion, and policies targeting socioeconomic disadvantage, in alignment with national public health priorities such as Saudi Vision 2030.

Mental disorders such as depression affects the daily activity and performance. including self-care behaviors and personal hygiene. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is a complex concept that includes social, psychological, and physical aspects. This study seeks to investigate the correlation between OHRQoL and depression and anxiety. This is an online cross-sectional survey study that was performed in Jordan and Saudi Arabia between September and November 2024. This research utilized 3 previously validated tools to achieve the study aim of examining the link between OHRQoL and depression and anxiety. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and General Anxiety Disorder-7. This study involved 2704 participants. Among our participants, the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 56.0%, the prevalence of severe anxiety was 21.4%, and the mean OHIP score was 14.9 (standard deviation SD]: 12.6) out of 56, which implies a low to moderate impact on participants’ OHRQoL. Physical pain dimension showed the higher mean score with 2.8 (SD: 2.3); which reflects discomfort and pain caused by dental conditions. Functional limitation dimension showed the lowest mean score with 1.5 (SD: 1.9); which reflects practical difficulties caused by oral health issues (such as speech or taste impairment). Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a moderately positive correlation between OHIP score and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score R = =0.395; 95% confidence interval: 0.363–0.426; P -value <.001) and a moderately positive correlation between OHIP score and General Anxiety Disorder-7 score R = =0.416; 95% confidence interval: 0.385–0.447; P -value <.001). Oral health issues demonstrated low to moderate impact on participants’ QoL. Physical pain was more noticeable issue that affected participants’ QoL due to their oral health issues compared to functional limitation dimension. Oral-related QoL is negatively affecting the psychological status of individuals due to its impact on their emotional well-being. Healthcare professionals are advised to give attention to both oral and mental health of their patients.

Oral cavity procedures are essential for maintaining or improving oral health. In England and Wales, many factors affect these procedure trends. This study aimed to examine trends in oral cavity procedures in England and Wales from 2014 to 2023. This ecological study used main procedures and intervention data from the Patient Episode Database for Wales and the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England. The total annual number of procedures decreased by 30.1%, representing a 33.6% decrease in procedure rate from 633.67 (95% confidence interval: 631.63–635.72) in 2014 to 421.05 (95% confidence interval: 419.42–422.67) in 2023 per 100,000 person-years, trend test, P < .05. The most prevalent oral cavity procedures were “tooth and gingiva-related procedures” and “procedures related to tonsil and other parts of the mouth.” Rates of all types of oral cavity procedures decreased from 2014 to 2023. Age and gender impacted the rate of oral cavity-related procedures; the 15- to 59-year age group accounted for 54.3% of the oral cavity procedures, and females contributed 53.6%. Oral cavity procedure trends were declining in England and Wales. Factors such as advancements in intervention and practical preventive approaches, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and demographic inequalities in access to these services have been associated with these declines.

Oral health affects a person’s general health and tooth decay leads to pain that affects the whole body. There are limited studies that examined oral procedures globally and specifically in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze tooth and gingiva procedure patterns across England and Wales in the past decade. In this ecological study, we utilized the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales. F08–F20 code data were used to extract relevant data. A 37.8% decline in the tooth and gingiva procedure rate, from 404.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 402.46–405.73) in 2014 to 251.33 (95% CI: 250.08–252.59) in 2023 per 1,00,000 persons per year, was observed during the study period. The most frequently performed tooth and gingiva procedures were “surgical removal of tooth” and “simple extraction of tooth,” representing 47.0% and 39.1% of episodes, respectively. Females accounted for 55.0% of these episodes (9,22,485 procedures), an average of 1,02,498 procedures annually. The rate of tooth and gingiva procedures decreased by 39.0% among females (from 439.31 [95% CI: 436.92–441.70] in 2014 to 267.97 [95% CI: 266.15–269.79] in 2023 per 1,00,000 persons per year) and by 36.4% among males (from 367.47 [95% CI: 365.25–369.69] in 2014 to 233.85 [95% CI: 232.11–235.58] in 2023 per 1,00,000 persons per year). The 15 to 59 age group accounted for most tooth and gingiva procedure episodes (59.3%), followed by the below-15 age group with 27.9%. Tooth and gingiva procedure trends were declining in the past decade in England and Wales. Factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and demographic inequalities in access to these services could have contributed to these declines. Furthermore, there were distinctions in tooth and gingiva procedure trends, where females had higher rates than males for 8 of 12 procedure types, and children under 15 years had the highest rates for 7 of 12 procedure types, while the 15 to 59 age group accounted for the largest share of episodes.