González-Olmo, M.J.Delgado-Ramos, B.Ortega-Martínez, A.R.Romero-Maroto, M.Carrillo-Díaz, M.2024-01-232024-01-232022-02González-Olmo, M.J., Delgado-Ramos, B., Ortega-Martínez, A.R., Romero-Maroto, M. & Carrillo-Díaz, M. (2022). Fear of Covid-19 in Madrid. Will patients avoid dental care? International Dental Journal, 72 (1), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.010131875-595X10.1016/j.identj.2021.01013https://hdl.handle.net/10953/1621Introduction: The objective of this research is to describe how perceived infectability, germ aversion, and fear of COVID-19 in adults in Madrid have changed from the beginning of the pandemic until the lockdown exit phase and their influence on dental care behaviour. Materials and Methods: Some 961 participants were monitored in a study in Madrid at 2 time points: before lockdown (T0) and after completion of the total lockdown (T1). A questionnaire that included basic sociodemographic variables, the perceived vulnerability to disease scale (including perceived infectability and germ aversion), the fear of COVID-19 scale, and dental visiting behaviour after confinement for fear of COVID was administered. Results: The participants had higher scores for infectability and germ aversion at T1 than at T0 (P < 0.01). Of those studied, 24.5% (235) of the participants would not go to the dentist for fear of COVID-19. Those who had a high perceived infectability scale score were at least 5 times more likely to not visit the dentist. Those with high COVID-19 fear were at least 6 timesmore likely to not visit the dentist, and those older than 60 years were 8 timesmore likely to not visit. Conclusions: The population’s high levels of vulnerability to infectability and perceived germ aversion associated with fear of COVID-19 and the resultant avoidance behaviour to dental care will remain until an effective drug or vaccine for SARS-CoV2 is found.engAnxietyCOVID-19Coronavirus infectionsDisease avoidancePerceived fear to diseaseinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess