dental fear

Deep Breaths by Children can Help Reduce Dental Fear

by

An interesting article titled “Breathing out dental fear: A feasibility crossover study on the effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing in children sitting on the dentist’s chair” written by Martina Levi and et al. appears in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry (Feb. 13, 2022). The article sought to explore if diaphragmatic breathing by children can help to reduce fear and anxiety in dental setting. In the study the authors evaulated 20 children who had two dental procedures done on different days who were between the ages of 7 and 13. The children were assigned two groups in one group the children were taught diaphragmatic breathing to be used prior to dental treatment and in the other group they were instructed to start their dental treatment normally. The children in the diaphramatic breathing group only had their dental treatment begin when they … Read more

Dental Anxiety for Post Traumatic Stress Survivors

by

An interesting article titled “Dental anxiety in relation to torture experiences and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder,” written by Høyvik et al. appears in the European Journal of Oral Sciences (vol. 127, pp. 65-71, 2019). The article sought to explore dental anxiety amongst those who have suffered torture experiences and have experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The article describes how in recent years Europe has received an increase in refugees and asylum seekers from countries experiencing war. As a group these refugees and asylum seekers have a high amount of mental health issues which could be due to experiencing stressful events in their life such as torture. The authors state: “Several aspects of the dental visit resemble the torture situation. The patients may feel tied to the dental chair and are literally underneath health personnel in white coats … Read more

Blood tests to detect dental fear

by

An interesting article titled “The impact of dental treatment and age on salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels of patients with varying degrees of dental anxiety” written by AlMaummar, AlThabit and Pani appears in BMC Oral Health in 2019 (19:211). The article discusses the use of blood tests to attempt to determine which children might be more susceptible to dental fear. Dental fear has been discussed before on this site such as in the post Dental Anxiety and Fear: Impact on Oral Health. The study included 151 children who were treated at the dental clinics of King Abdulaziz Medical City and Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy in Riyadh. Each of the children had behavior screening done using a Frankl behavior rating scale and a Children’s Fear Survey Schedule children’s subscale to assess dental fear. Based on answers to the behavior … Read more

Delivering Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment in Dental Practices

by

An interesting article titled “Dentist-Perceived Barriers and Attractors to Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Provided by Mental Health Providers in Dental Practices,” written by Heyman et al. appears in Advances in Dental Research (vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 35-41, February 2018). The article discusses how over 20% of dental patients report having dental fear and how over 20 randomized controlled trials have show that Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT) can help. Even though such CBT treatment has been shown to help it has not been widely used beyond dental fear specialty clinics according to the authors. The authors feel that the treatment is recognized but the way to disseminate it throughout the US health care system is needed. The authors explore enhancing the dental home via an approach known as evidence-based collaborative care where specialized mental health providers work within the dental home to provide … Read more

Dental Anxiety and Fear: Impact on Oral Health

by

An interesting article titled “From public mental health to community oral health: the impact of dental anxiety and fear on dental status,” by Crego et al. appears in frontiers in Public Health (vol. 2, art. no. 16, Feb. 2014). The article discusses a multidisciplinary approach to address dental fear and oral health. The article discusses how mental disorders can act as a barrier to seeking needed treatment and thus can adversely impact oral health. Further, physical problems and ailments can negatively impact mental health. This has been described as a vicious cycle which is found in dentistry. As one sees the dentist less their oral health worsens and this reinforces dental anxiety. These worse oral health problems typically require more intensive and expensive treatments. This results in some patients only seeing the dentist when treatment can not be avoided. In … Read more