Dentists' skills with fearful patients: education and treatment

Abstract

The aims were to explore dentists' skills in dental fear, current strategies when treating fearful adult patients, and the possible need for additional education among dentists working in Sweden. A sample of 1,293 members of the Association of Public Health Dentists in Sweden were asked to respond to a Web survey concerning dental fear. The response rate was 69% (n = 889); 91% trained in Sweden and 9% trained in another country. The most frequently used pharmacological anxiety-reducing techniques were medication with a midazolame mixture (72%) and benzodiazepine tablets (77%), and the most commonly used psychological techniques were relaxation (68%), distraction (66%), and Tell-Show-Do (86%). A larger proportion of dentists trained in Sweden, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries, reported that they had received undergraduate training in dental fear. Dentists trained in Sweden more often reported competence in pharmacological and psychological anxiety-reducing techniques, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries. Higher levels of self-rated efficacy in treating fearful patients accompanied additional education in dental fear after graduation. In conclusion, Swedish dentists use a variety of techniques to meet the needs of fearful dental patients. Competence in anxiety-reducing techniques is associated with self-efficacy and the site of education.

The dentist's care‐taking perspective of dental fear patients – a continuous and changing challenge

“…Neither the development of resources nor the emotional changeboth probably beneficial in order to successfully take care of dental fear patientsis possible to address extensively during dental undergraduate education. This also is of interest from the perspective of the informants' general opinion that the undergraduate education regarding treating dental fear patients is insufficient, which is in accordance with other findings (17,25). Experience expands parallel to an increase of years of clinical practice; and combined with reflection, experiencing situations can result in increased learning (26).…”

Student’s Perceptions about Pediatric Dental Behavior Guidance Techniques throughout a five-year Dental Curriculum

“…Nonetheless, the clinical use of these techniques it is not a routine practice at this university, thus the student's response were probably based on theoretical knowledge. The use of nitrous oxide, sedation and general anesthesia require formal competence and/or specialized equipment, factors that could contribute to the reduced use [24]. But nevertheless, it would be interesting to incorporate the pharmacological management practices into the routine, since the exposure to these techniques may impact competency and use [25].…”

Experiences of Dental Care and Dental Anxiety in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Dentists use a variety of techniques to meet the needs of fearful patients [35]. One of the most effective approaches to reducing dental anxiety is optimising controllability and predictability for the patient, by providing the patient with accurate explanations and information about what will happen and what type of experiences she/he might expect [36].…”